


Broken Trust

by AnxiousBlueBear



Category: Video Blogging RPF, mcyt
Genre: Baby TommyInnit, I'm Bad At Tagging, My First AO3 Post, No Sex, No Sexual Content, Other, Pedophilia, Please Don't Kill Me, Psychological Horror, no actual underage, questionable morals, read the notes, technodad, uhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:01:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27734989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxiousBlueBear/pseuds/AnxiousBlueBear
Summary: Technoblade taking in a toddler really shouldn't have made such a big difference.  He could still make videos, stream once his kid was in bed, and joke around with the other two sleepy bois.  All he was expecting was a few "awww's" in chat and the surprised look on Wilbur and Phil's faces when they heard he'd adopted an orphan instead of stabbing it. (It was just a joke, he'd had to reassure the agent before she was willing to approve him.)But when Tommy's godfathers start getting a bit too... close to the kid, Techno has to make a difficult decision.
Relationships: TommyInnit/Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot/TommyInnit
Comments: 168
Kudos: 669





	1. Fond Glances

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Nice to meet you all. Before you run down to the comments to scream death threats, please take note of a few things:
> 
> 1\. This is not a work advocating pedophilia! No sexual acts take place in the story, and both characters who are represented in this light are very much NOT the heroes of the story!  
> 2\. This is FICTIONAL. I understand that these are real people and nothing written in this story is even remotely related to these real people.  
> 3\. I reserve the right to write to explore different emotions, themes, an ideas that I'm not familiar with. If you aren't interested in reading any of material tagged above, or that you could infer about the story by reading these notes, then please, click off and have a wonderful day. If you are interested in this, I'll let you know now that this ISN'T smut, nor holds any sexual significance. It's more of an in-depth look into morality and characters. So if you're a psychology nerd like me, dive in!  
> 4\. Don't like, don't click. If you found this story, which doesn't contain character tags, then you found it by looking through the ship tags! If you're here because the fandom tags put it in your path, scroll on past, friend. If this could trigger you, then just be safe and don't read it. It's my first work so feel free to comment about additional tags to be added or other ways I can keep people safe while still keeping this story open for any who want to read it. 
> 
> That's all! Final TW for discussed pedophilia, broken family dynamics, questionable morals, and just a generally not very fluffy fic. Enjoy, and if you've read all these notes, go ahead and tell me how disappointed you are in the comments. I'll be waiting!

(Hi! I'm not sure how over-seas adoption works, but for the sake of this story making an ounce of sense, Techno lives somewhere in the U.K. I am, sadly, American, so take everything in the work with a grain of sand.)

God, everyday life was exhausting. First, Technoblade had to deal with taxes and working, and now he had another aspect to his life that he was still settling into. Now, after work, Techno had to remember to stop at the little daycare building to pick up the little demon that somehow managed to make him even more tired after a full day's work.

Parenthood really didn't suit Techno. He knew he could be too mean for the tiny kid, and often had no idea how to keep the kid from crying or throwing a fit. But even if Techno only had a few hours of sleep each night, and he sometimes feared that the kid would grow up hating him, Techno tried his hardest. If the toddler only cried a couple times a night and fell asleep by 8, it was a good night.

Tommy was definitely an unexpected addition to Techno's life, but as weeks passed, Techno couldn't help but adore the kid. He had a fierce love of rebellion and a tiny flame that refused to be put out. The kid was never quiet, and filled Techno's previously silent house with screams or laughter and excitement.

Now, Techno was tucking the tiny hellraiser into his bed, leaving the tot to sleep for a night of silence. He sighed after he'd left the room, stepping into his own room and sitting at his desk. He wondered to himself if he should actually get something uploaded on his channel, but a message on discord caught his eye. It was a quaint invitation from Wilbur to talk, sent from a few days prior. He noticed Wilbur and Phil were already in a call, and plugged in his headset. He hoped that his friends weren't talking about something serious, and clicked to join the call.

Quickly, he heard their voices caught in a conversation and heard the tail end of Wilbur's thought.

"-So I just stopped talking to her after that. Oh, Technoblade? Did you finally get the message I sent you?"

He awkwardly laughed to himself before answering.

"Yeah, I was too busy actually doing things in my life. How is the SMP?"

A short laugh bubbled from the other man's mic. "Oh quiet down Mr. 'I spent four months farming potatoes in skyblock.'"

"So Techno, what have you been doing that kept you away for so long?" Phil interjected into the friendly banter.

"Ah, you know... I had to work, became a father, had to go to the doctor's office the other day-"

"Wait, what? You became a father, Techno?" Wilbur cut in, his signature giggle punctuating the statement.

"Oh yeah. Fatherhood has certainly changed me, I almost feel guilty about all those orphans I stab." He replied in a deadpan voice. Phil and Wilbur laughed to themselves for a while, quieting down eventually when Techno added nothing further.

"What's their name Techno? I can only wonder what you'd name a kid if you had one." Phil replied at last.

"Well I didn't get to choose his name, kinda came with him when I adopted him. I don't think it's legal to change a kids name after a certain age, right? I mean, I guess I could but that'd just confuse him and I already don't know if he knows what's going on." Technoblade wondered aloud, noticing how both men's laughter had slowly faded out as he talked, turning into confused giggles.

"Uhm, Techno? You didn't actually adopt a kid, right?" Wilbur asked him, a smile evident in his voice.

"Haha, yeah, about that..." Techno was interrupted as the door to his room opened, and he looked over to see Tommy hiding behind the door. He looked tiny standing in the doorway, staring at Technoblade with an anxiousness that was uncommon on his face. His attention was immediately on the kid, leaning back from the desk to get a better look at the kid.

"Hey kid. What's up? Couldn't sleep?" Techno asks the kid, smiling when he gets a tiny nod from the boy. He stands and picks Tommy up, who quickly latches his hands onto Techno's shirt and lays his head on his father's shoulder. Techno sits back down, finally noticing the silence from the other end of the call, and he checks to make sure he hasn't disconnected from the call. He finds that both men are still in he call, and raises an eyebrow.

"Wilbur? Phil? You guys didn't just leave, right?" He asks, holding Tommy on his lap as the kid plays with a tiny plush bear he'd brought from his room.

"No, we're still here... Techno, were you being serious about adopting a child?" Phil asks, as Wilbur remains silent.

"Well, yeah. Unless those adoption papers I signed a month ago were fake, I'm pretty sure I'm legally a father now."

He hears a surprised laugh from the headphones, but his attention is captured by Tommy looking up at him in confusion. Techno realizes that he can't hear the other two adults talking, so he reaches over the kid to unplug his headphones.

"He can hear you, if you guys want to introduce yourselves." Techno says, as Tommy looks around, searching the room for someone Techno is talking to.

"Hello child!" Wilbur says loudly, startling Tommy as he jumps and holds tighter to Techno. Techno rubs a hand on his back to calm the kid, flipping the kid around in his lap so he can see the screen.

"I'm Wilbur, your dad's friend. It's so nice to meet you, what's your name?" Wilbur talks on, Tommy still searching for the voice in the room. He's still put off by the faceless voices, so Techno steps in.

"Hey, if it's not too much of a problem, could you two turn on your cameras in discord? Kid isn't used to talking online, and he keeps looking around like ghosts are talking to him." Techno quips, and soon his two friends are visible on screen, and Tommy can stare at two new faces. Techno reaches over Tommy's shoulder and clicks his own camera on, angling it downwards so the kid is in sight. Two gasps are heard from the speakers as Tommy gazes into his own reflection on the screen, hands still moving about with the bear.

"Alright, hello again child! As I said before, I'm Wilbur. Can I know your name?" Wilbur asks, looking at the kid seated in Techno's lap.

Tommy looks at the other camera, his eyes falling on the curly-haired man. He gives a little smile and waves, the bear falling off the chair in his excitement.

"Hi! I'm Tommy, I'm three an' I like red." The toddler babbles to the camera, his hands now grasping at Techno's arms which are holding him and keeping him from falling.

The two men coo at Tommy, and he smiles at the camera again, his mischievous grin looking up at their faces.

"Well hello Tommy. I'm Phil." The other man introduces himself. Tommy keeps smiling, but waves at the screen again, which makes all three men laugh.

"I have to be honest, I really didn't expect you to find an orphan and then... adopt him? Seems a bit out of character for the blood god, doesn't it?" Wilbur asks, still smiling at the kid through his screen.

"I mean, he looked at me with these big eyes I couldn't just... leave him, yeah? He's just so tiny and helpless, this kid couldn't survive on his own." Techno laughs, then ducks down to retrieve the bear Tommy had dropped, handing it back to his kid. Tommy's attention is back on the bear, and he ignores the conversation the other three are having in favor of the toy.

"He does have pretty big eyes. Such a little cutie, playing with his bear. What's your bear's name, Tommy?" Wilbur asks the kid, who looks up at his name. Tommy hesitates a second, but replies anyways.

"Big T." He replies, still looking down at the bear and squishing his arms, oblivious to how the adults are glancing at him fondly.

They continue talking, occasionally asking the kid questions. Late into the night, Techno eventually realizes how late it is, and how Tommy's head begins to drop every few minutes as the friends talk. Technoblade gets up at a lull in conversation, sitting Tommy down in the chair alone, as the kid looks up, wondering where he's going.

"Entertain him for a bit, I'll be right back." Techno says, tussling Tommy's hair and leaving the room.

"Hey Tommy, how do you like living with Techno?" Wilbur asks, gaining the kid's attention.

"Umm, I dunno. 'S nice, gives me cookies sometimes." Tommy mumbles, wiping sleep from his eyes as he tries to stay awake.

"Well that's nice of him. Are cookies your favorite food?" Phil asks him next, a soft smile on his face at the tired kid.

"Hmmm, maybe. I like crackers too...". Tommy says, drifting off at the end, leaning back against the warm back of the chair. His head picks back up as the door to the room opens, Techno coming back into frame.

He sets something down on the desk out of view of the camera. Then Technoblade gently picks up Tommy and returns them to their previous position, the kid seated in his lap and facing towards the computer.

"Tommy here can't stay up for much longer. His sleep schedule is already pretty messed up, but he's probably going to sleep in until noon tomorrow at this point." Techno said to his friends, grabbing the two mugs he had set on the desk and handing one to Tommy. The kid reached for it greedily and began to drink quickly, the mug covering most of his face from the view of the webcam.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want this little guy nodding off on his papa." Phil said, going mostly ignored by both father and son, both sipping their respective drinks. Techno gives a little hum of acknowledgement shifting slightly in his chair, which also causes Tommy to be jostled on his lap. With this shift, Tommy drops his mug a bit, the drink sloshing over the cup's rim and onto the kid's shirt.

Tommy gasps a little, and Techno can barely catch the kid's mug as it falls from his hands. He sighs a bit, but sets both cups down again and turns Tommy to face him rather than the camera.

Being gentle with the sleepy child, Techno takes Tommy's shirt off, using the partially soaked fabric to get any remaining liquid off the child. Tommy sits in his lap, looking downwards as Techno wipes at his chest and chin, where most of the drink had been spilt.

Techno spares a glance away from the messy kid towards the camera, a joke about how tired Tommy must be dying on his tounge at the view of his friends' faces.

Wilbur's eyes are fixed on something on his screen, a direct and unbreaking stare into his computer. Tommy shifts on Techno's lap, and as Wilbur's eyes move along with the kid's movements, Techno realizes that what Wilbur is staring at is Tommy. The kid is slightly turned in the chair, so half of his chest is also able to be seen. Tommy's legs are straddling one of Techno's thighs, seated on his leg comfortably, with his hands set in tiny fists resting on top of his own small legs. It's innocent in meaning, but the way Wilbur's eyes scan the screen, seemingly memorizing every detail makes a chill shoot down Technoblade's spine.

But it's not just a normal gaze, or even remotely similar to how Wilbur has been looking at the kid all night.

Wilbur looks... hungry, almost. Like he's been a starving man for so long and is finally staring at a gorgeous feast that's so close but not in reach. His eyes continue to shift over the screen, focusing on one main spot but flickering over every slight curve and angle. His eyes are wide and his mouth open just slightly, lips parted but his mouth not hanging down. His hair falls to obscure a part of his vision, but he doesn't move to brush it away, like if he breaks eye contact with the screen it might shut off and the view be lost forever.

Phil isn't much better, not really.

It's less noticeable, with Phil. Hell, if Techno hadn't just been staring at Wilbur's face in the monitor it would just look like the older man was engrossed in something on a separate tab. But silently, Techno takes in the signs, as Phil keeps glancing away from his screen, looking almost nervously towards the door like he's scared someone will walk in and see him talking with his friends. No matter how much he keeps averting his gaze, however, it always returns to fall on Tommy sitting in view of the camera.

The blonde's tiny hands move to Techno's arm, still held near the kid's chest, and grab at him softly, almost reverent. Techno can see the way Phil's eyes widen the tiniest amount, as Tommy kneads at the skin on his arm. It's a gentle action, trying to bring Techno's attention back to him, a testament to his bratty nature that requires attention all the time, but Techno's gaze is locked on the monitor, on his friends' faces as they look at the kid in his lap.

Tommy whines the slightest amount, body tensing as he bounces slightly, an attempt to gain his adopted father's attention again, but it goes unnoticed.

Techno can't manage to tear his eyes from the other two, and how they react to Tommy's unconscious actions. Neither of the men separated by a screen can see Technoblade's face, with the way the webcam is angled downwards to keep Tommy as the center focus of the frame.

Wilbur lets out a shallow breath, not caught by the microphone, but Techno can see how his chest shakily exhales. Phil glances away again, but soon his gaze falls back onto the camera, looking nearly as hungry for every little movement as Wilbur does. Techno feels frozen in place, petrified as he watches every guilty look and stare directed at this kid, the one he promised to protect and dedicate his life to-

His attention is ripped back to the present as Tommy gives a gentle slap to his arm, an angry pout on his face. Techno's eyes fall on Tommy's face, and the anger melts to a confusion, tilting his head to stare up at him full of innocence. Suddenly a nauseous feeling fills him, and Techno wants nothing but to get his son as far from this place as possible.

He spins the chair directly away from the camera, so the back of the chair is the only thing visible in the camera. As he sets the soaked shirt on the floor, he carefully holds Tommy close to him, the kid letting out a gentle squeak at the unexpected hug. Techno gives himself a second to just hold the kid, trying to shield him from the world with just the weak barrier his arms provide.

He stands up, Tommy still being held close, and leaves the room without another word. It's an uncomfortable way to leave the conversation, or rather lack of one, but Techno can't just stay in that place and allow those stares to fall on this tiny child he has. Techno barely realizes that his breathing has quickened as he exited the room, holding the child that still looks at him with confusion.

He enters Tommy's bedroom on instinct, and sets the kid on his tiny bed, turning to rummage through a short stack of drawers. Techno finds a shirt, and quickly pulls it over the toddler's head. Though Tommy would normally try to fight with the piece of clothing, preferring to remain shirtless for comfort, the confusion he's endured makes him weak to fight with his dad. Still, a grumpy pout finds its way onto his face, and it's the first thing that makes Techno's breathing even.

The familiarity of the tiny fury that this kid possesses soothes the growing panic inside of his father, and his heart rate steadies. Techno sits with the now dressed child on the bed, pulling up the sheets and moving Tommy to rest under them. He seems a bit pouty at being set to bed, but the previous exhaustion sets in quickly, and Techno can barely get a word in before his head falls to the pillow and he's knocked out.

The father hesitates to leave for a second, brushing his hand through Tommy's hair, and watching the calming rise and fall of his chest. He looks so peaceful, the rocket ship blanket tucked up to his chin as he sleeps. Gently, taking care not to wake the kid, Techno stands, and leaves the room, not before flicking on the night light against the wall.

He stops in the hallway before his own room, thinking to himself for a minute.

Why had Wilbur and Phil been staring so intensely at Tommy? It was jarring to see the pure emotion on their faces, though Techno isn't sure he could accurately place where that emotion was coming from. Both men's eyes were trained on the young child, scanning the gentle slopes of Tommy's chest and back. Hell, they looked so closely that it nearly seemed they were searching for a minor imperfection on the kid's body, yet found none.

A shiver runs down Techno's spine as he recalls how Wilbur's lips were parted, almost begging to be pressed against flesh, to dig into and mar the delicate flesh of the child.

He's pulled back into the present as tinny voices are heard from the room he has yet to enter, a quiet conversation between two men. Technoblade strains his ears to hear what they say, their differing voices forming a two-way symphony that's too quiet to be heard from where he stands. It isn't like how they normally talk, with loud exclamations and constant jokes, but rather it sounds reserved and nearly reverent, like a conversation one would find in a church.

The man takes a deep breath, and enters the room.

Instantly, all noise from discord is silenced, as Techno makes his return on the webcam. He sits down again, and moves his mouse to turn off the video being shown over discord. Still, the silence is the loudest noise in the room.

Wilbur, still shown in the camera, moves his arm slightly, and a second later his video feed is replaced with his discord icon.

Nothing is heard over the call.

A few second songs pass and Phil's webcam is turned off as well, leaving the sound as the only thing connecting the three men.

Not a single sound, not even the noise of one man readjusting on his seat is heard, just the deafening silence.

Technoblade swallows against the thickness that has risen in his throat.

Neither Phil nor Wilbur speak.

"So that's Tommy." Silence.

Phil makes a noise of assent.

Wilbur follows with his own.

It remains quiet.

One of the other men inhale, seemingly about to begin a thought, but the still present silence tells Techno that they had reconsidered.

Part of the man wants to ask what just happened, why the two men were so transfixed with Tommy.

Another part of him fears he already knows why.

It's silent in the call. It's so quiet that Techno thinks he can hear Tommy's gentle breathing.

He hopes neither of the other two can.

Techno wants to scream into the deafening silence, and he's quite convinced that if he did, he would receive no answer.

The three men sit in a noiseless void, teetering at the top of a tall cliff, with the threat that if they fall, there is nothing to catch them but the cold, harsh ground.


	2. Unconscious Touches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This is after some time has passed. I have a confrontation scene planned, but very little to connect it to the first scene. If this feels like filler, then it's because it's just a way to show a slight escalation in the timeline and give more than just one chapter of evidence that something is off.)

* * *

The day started out with Technoblade waking up to a screaming Tommy. 

The adopted father jolted out of bed, eyes wide at hearing the kid scream. He quickly rushes into the hallway, searching for the boy who had let out such a noise.

He bolts into the living room, terrifying scenes of seeing Tommy hurt or bleeding in the ground flooding his anxious mind, but the picture that he gets is nothing of the sort.

Techno sees Tommy, sitting on the floor next to the couch, a laptop open on his lap. Tommy's eyes are fixed to the screen, sticking his tounge out in concentration. A second later, he lets out another scream similar to the one that had waken his father in the first place.

Exasperated, Techno walks up to the child, who now notices him and smiles at him from the floor, two gaps in his smile where he'd lost his first baby teeth. He tilts his head at the kid, who quickly resumes playing on the laptop.

"Tommy, I told you only to scream for emergencies." Techno reprimanded, his hand coming up to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

"It is an emergency! Tubbo keeps killing me even though I asked him to stop. It's just rude of him." The kid huffs, glaring down at the computer.

"Did you do something to make him angry?" Techno asks, not at all believing the story from the six-year old. 

Tommy grins, hand running through his hair in a habit he had picked up from the older male. He at least has the decency to look sheepish, unlike how he looks after most of his mischievous endeavors.

"Well, he kept telling me not to mess with his sheep pen, but I didn't know he was serious! I just wanted to get some wool for a bed but the sheep I stabbed was named Sheepy and Tubbo told me that if I did it again I would be banished from the sheep pit. But he doesn't get to tell me where to go! So I told him, I told him, that if I wasn't allowed in the sheep pen, that nobody was gonna be, and-" 

"Tommy, I love hearing about your entire life up until this point, but if you hurry up I can make some pancakes for breakfast." Techno cuts in, bribing the kid with food as he does quite often. Someday Tommy will realize that he's just offering food to get something out of the kid, but that's not today, as Tommy smiles widely at him.

"So I set Tubbo's sheep pen on fire and now we have three stacks of cooked mutton. And he should be happy because now we don't have to find food, but he kept telling me that he was trying to make something out of wool. I think he's just being a baby, like when I took his juice at lunch yesterday and he started crying a little." Tommy finishes, typing out a quick message, supposedly to his friend, then closing the laptop and standing.

Techno raises an eyebrow at the last statement, following the kid to the kitchen.

"I thought I talked to you about being nice to Tubbo, Tommy." The child scoffs, rolling his eyes and pushing a chair across the floor towards the counter.

"I gave it back! I wasn't gonna drink it, I just wanted to see the back of it and he wasn't listening, so I took it. When he started crying I felt all bad so I gave it back, and I gave him my crisps to stop him crying." Tommy pouts at the memory, as he climbs onto the chair and stands on it, now hip-level with the counter.

Techno is surprised for a second as Tommy recounts the event, his child's kind behavior towards his friend a bit shocking. It really shouldn't be, considering the two have been close friends ever since they met a year ago. However, with the way Tommy tries to act nonchalant about everything and Tubbo's excited naivety, Techno hadn't thought the two would click the way they did. But no matter how much Tommy tried to pretend Tubbo was the clingy one, Tommy had a soft spot for the other, and Techno always found them together when he went to pick Tommy up from school. 

The rest of the morning is spent messily cooking pancakes, the father and son making a mess of the counter and numerous dishes. At the end, Tommy is covered in bits of batter and flour, and Technoblade can't keep the grin from his face at seeing the little one so delightful at having made a mess. (The pancakes aren't bad either.)

Technoblade looks up at the clock in the living room, taking note of the time as he waits for his son. The kid had run back upstairs in a flurry of annoyed squawks and quiet screams. Techno... really hadn't understood what the kid needed to grab so desperately, but he knew by now that Tommy wouldn't calm down until he had whatever it was that had him so worked up. 

A bit later, Tommy comes rushing down the stairs, cheeks flushed and an evil smile on his face. It's his patent ' _I did something I'm not supposed to'_ smile. Techno hesitates, considering being a bit late just to get the kid to spit out what he didn't that has him so happy, but they're already running behind. He rushes the kid out the door, locking it behind them.

They arrive at the house four minutes after they were expected, and Techno thinks that's it's a fairly reasonable time for having to deal with Tommy's fit earlier. He takes another second in front of the door to brush Tommy's hair out of his eyes and fix the collar on his own shirt. Nervously, he rings the doorbell.

A few voices are heard from behind the door, and then it's opened. 

Wilbur's smiling face is what greets the pair, looking up at Techno and then quickly down the the happy child.

"Wilbur!" Tommy all but screams. He launches himself towards the older man, grabbing onto his slacks and refusing to let go. Wilbur just laughs in his bubbly way, setting his hand in Tommy's hair and stroking it gently. He looks absolutely delighted for the kid to greet him in such an enthusiastic manner, a bright smile on his face. Techno has to cough into his hand for Wilbur to finally look up.

Wilbur's smile dulls, not showing discontentment but rather consciously dampening his previous excitement at seeing the boy. He shakes Techno's hand, Techno gripping his hand tightly, a silent warning crossing between the two. Wilbur stops breathing for a second.

His breath is knocked back into him as Tommy whines by his legs, pulls at his pants to try to get the adult to lead them into the house. It's mid-November, and although it isn't cold, Tommy hasn't never been a fan of fall or winter. Wilbur thinks to himself how summer perfectly represents the kid, with his sunny smile and clear wide eyes, so filled with joy and adventure that it can only draw one in.

Wilbur leads the two inside, Tommy letting out a squeal as he sees the other man sitting on the couch.

Phil looks over and greet the two from his seated position, waving at Technoblade. Tommy climbs over the back of the couch to jump on Phil, the man letting out an exaggerated ' _oof_ ' sound as the kid lands in his lap. He straddles Phil's legs, facing towards the man's face and his hands resting on his chest. Phil's breath leaves him, as the kid leans towards his face excitedly. The kid is rambling on about something, but Phil doesn't take any of it in as Tommy stares at him excitedly.

Tommy doesn't seem to notice anything when Phil's hand moves to gently touch the child's thigh, cupping it softly in his hand, scared to frighten the kid off. It feels like a deer has bounded into a field he was sitting in, he's terrified to breathe too deeply, to make any sudden noises or movements and scare the creature off forever. However, Tommy isn't scared off, just continuing to gently rock against Phil's chest. Phil smiles, a lap full of an excited child filled with energy, rocking and bouncing on him, as his hands settle to hold the kid's legs steady.

Suddenly he's ripped away. Tommy's eyes widen as his head turns around to look at his father, who has grabbed him under his arms. The kid is suspended in the air, held by Techno as Phil stares up at the two. Wilbur's gaze is felt from the other side of the room, observing but not entering the situation. 

The child's legs start kicking in the air, asking without voice to be set down. Techno puts Tommy on the floor, and he turns around to face his father completely. He gives him a questioning look, and Techno chases away the dreadful feeling in his chest that had boiled up when he saw Tommy sitting with Phil. Techno wets his lips nervously.

"Tommy, I told you to be polite. Climbing on Phil isn't minding your manners." He supplies as an answer, and he feels like the room collectively exhales again after a long bated breath.

The boy just sticks his tounge out, then clambers onto the couch next to Phil. The man's eyes fall back on Tommy, ignoring how Techno still stands watching the two. Techno sighs and returns to the connected kitchen, helping Wilbur grab some drinks and make popcorn. 

Phil and Tommy pick a movie on the television, the kid bouncing in excitement when they finally settle on an option.

The four settle down on the couch, Tommy grabbing the bowl of popcorn. Tommy has Phil to his right and Techno on his other side, with Wilbur sitting next to Techno. They start the movie.

It's not too noteworthy of a film, since Tommy had seen the animated icon for the film and quickly insisted that they watch it. At one point Techno notices That Tommy is squirming, his hands pressed in his lap, and he's no longer eating or drinking. The kid has a bad habit of neglecting his needs for the sake of entertainment, and Techno knows from experience that if he doesn't say something, Tommy might end up pissing himself.

Techno reaches to the coffee table and grabs the remote, pausing the movie. Wilbur and Phil look over at him, and Tommy looks up, knowing that Techno paused it for him.

"Go to the bathroom Tommy, we aren't going to start it without you." Techno says, and quickly Tommy bolts up from the couch and runs to the bathroom. The other two men share a fond glance at the kid's childness and Wilbur stands to grab another drink.

When Tommy returns from the bathroom, he sees Wilbur in the kitchen and runs over to the man. Wilbur smiles down at the child and picks him up, a shrieking Tommy in his arms as he digs his fingers into his sides, forcing him to laugh. Tommy tries to bat his hands away, but Wilbur is relentless in tickling him. Soon Tommy is just laying against Wilbur's chest, small giggles still escaping him. The man walks back to the couch, sitting down with Tommy in his arms. He pulls a blanket over the two of them, a notices Techno watching the two.

"Well? We're ready for the movie." Wilbur says, eyes locked with the boy's father. Techno hesitates, but clicks to resume to film.

Tommy is warm in Wilbur's arms, his body heat making the blanket unnecessary. He leans back fully on the older male, gaze directed solely on the television. They way they're sat, Wilbur can lean forward and rest his head on Tommy's to see the tv. The child doesn't make any allusion to discomfort, so Wilbur carefully moves his hands to the child's legs, casing him in. His hands are underneath the blanket, slowly dragging along Tommy's legs, and the kid just tilts his head a little, looking back at Wilbur for a second before looking back at the movie. 

Wilbur's mouth goes dry as he just strokes Tommy's thigh with his thumb, an innocent action with anything but innocent intentions. A tiny smile dawns on his face as the boy shifts, getting more comfortable in his lap, sitting on Wilbur's legs and fully at the older man's mercy. If Wilbur wanted, his hands could stray a little further, a little higher. Would it hurt to just move the kid a bit closer? To pick him up by his waist and center him just a bit further up? Tommy would be so greatful for the attention, he's always been desperate for anything the older man wanted to give him. It wouldn't be too hard, in reality, to get the child alone for an hour, and the boy was so greedy for disobedience that keeping a 'secret' from his father was nothing he would object to. The child was almost begging for it, with his teasing behavior and youthful excitement for life.

Wilbur bit his lip, knowing the disgusting thoughts were wrong but being unable (or just unwilling) to banish them. Those same ideas has taunted him for a while, being so close but so far away that they seemed unattainable. It was something of a self-restraint exercise, having the object of his darkest desires so close to him. It made an odd sense of pride emerge, knowing that if he were a weaker person he would have already acted on those devious thoughts, or at least made an attempt to follow through on them. But no, Wilbur was strong, so strong that we was able to be close to Tommy like this, close enough that he could smell the kid's hair and feel his soft skin without giving into his desires. His thoughts were similar to a thief breaking into a house but having enough 'self-restraint' to not steal anything, or a rapist drugging someone but not touching them because they were strong enough to resist the urge to.

Wilbur turned his head on instinct, and was met with Techno's stare. He glared at the other man, and Wilbur felt himself freeze.

Carefully, the adult moved his hands from under the blanket to above it, his hands now visible to everyone in the room. Techno nodded silently to himself, directing his sight back to the movie. A part of Wilbur pouted, now remembering that the two weren't alone.

Tommy moved his hands to one of Wilbur's, and the man startled as the kid started unconsciously playing with his fingers as he watched the movie. Wilbur smiled as he let the kid fiddle with his hand, his smile glowing in the dark room.

Even if he couldn't have Tommy in the way his darkest thoughts depicted, this was nice too.

(But God he would need to relieve himself after the movie was over.)


	3. The Drop Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, everything's been going mostly fine so far. Let's ruin everyone's day (not in the way you might think.). Please enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment! I love hearing feedback, just remember to be respectful.
> 
> ((And yes, I know that Tommy's birthday is in April, but I'll forfeit some accuracies for drama and plot))

The day was hot and humid, the sun beaming down on the beach. The water was a cool solace from the burning sun, and distant screams of happiness are heard along the coastline. Different colored umbrellas are set up in the sand, keeping people from the harsh light.

Technoblade takes a moment to inhale the salty air, feeling the sand underneath his hands where he sits on a towel. They've set their things a few meters from the water, and Techno looks back on the rest of the group.

Tommy is laughing loudly, using a stick to terrorize a small crab that scuttles about in the sand. Tubbo stands next to him, giggling and trying to knock the stick from Tommy's little hands. Both boys have their swim trunks on and look ready to jump into the water.

Wilbur is sitting in the sand and typing on his phone, Phil fixing the beach umbrella next to him. The standing man looks up at the two boys, now searching for shells at Tubbo's insistence. He smiles, and calls out to them.

"Boys! I thought we came here to swim, not play on the sand all day?" 

The two turn to Phil at his words, both smiling at each other excitedly and running over.

It's Tommy's birthday, which is why the five are at the beach. Tommy had demanded Wilbur and Phil be there, as well as Tubbo. Techno's breath catches at remembering the kid is turning seven. It's been four years since Techno took this tiny kid into his home. That warm feeling in his chest sinks away as the two kids approach the umbrella, coming to the two men.

Techno stands, following both children to the shaded area. He ruffles Tommy's hair as he passes, the kid glaring and moving his hands up to just mess it up further. Tubbo is shyly smiling at Techno, quiet as he always is when he's with someone other than Tommy. Wilbur cuts into the silence.

"Tommy, come here."

The kid approaches, just slightly taller than Wilbur, as the older is sitting. Wilbur grins, holding up a colorful tube.

"We have to make sure you've got sunscreen on. You don't want to burn in the sun, right?" Wilbur asks, smiling at Tommy's face. That smile turns to a frown when Tommy shakes his head.

"Sorry Wilby! Dad already helped me and Tubbo put it on at home, so we didn't have to do it here!" Tommy says, then pulling Tubbo by the hand towards his father.

"Ey! Can we go swimming now?" Tommy asks Techno, still holding Tubbo by his hand. The father rolls his eyes at his son's impoliteness.

"Don't go too far in, Tommy. And stay where we can see you, I don't want Tubbo's parents getting upset because we lost their kid." Techno cautions, letting both kids rip their shirts off and run to the water. 

Just before Tommy sprints off, he stops and turns back.

"Are you guys coming?" Tommy asks, looking at the three adults. Wilbur and Phil seem like they're about to say something in response but Techno interrupts.

"We'll be there in a few minutes I need to discuss something with these two." Techno responds, which seems good enough for the blonde, who challenges his friend to a race to the water. The two rush off to play in the water, leaving behind the three men to talk.

Its quiet, as most of their interactions are without the kid there to diffuse the tension.

Phil and Wilbur share a glance, as Techno has yet to turn to face them, still staring off at the two boys now playing in the water. Phil breaks the silence.

"Techno? What did you want to talk about?" 

"You're both attracted to Tommy." Techno states. Both men freeze, a chill filling their veins despite the warm atmosphere.

Neither speak, and Techno doesn't turn to face his two friends. Wilbur swallows, and his lips part slightly, staring at Techno's back.

"Of course Techno, he's like my little brother-" Wilbur starts.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I mean." Techno says.

A quiet chill passes along all three men, causing Wilbur to straighten his back, Phil to shudder slightly, and Techno to finally turn.

It's the same feeling of a silent courtroom, moments before a verdict is reached. The judge sitting silently and stoically upon his pedestal, silently inflicting judgement on two guilty men. Not one person knows what passes through his mind, but his blank face betrays no sympathy nor condemnation. In this suspended space, both men on trial consider their own souls, and ask a question about their own nature of morality. 

Phil wonders silently why he never pushed back harder, why he couldn't control himself enough to keep from _looking_ , and a deep feeling of piercing shame fills him. He looks down, because he can't force himself to look at the man who judges him now, fearing that a misplaced gaze will set him off and cause a worse fate for himself. His demeanor is one of a guilty man, knowledgeable of his crime and willing to accept the punishment for his crime.

Wilbur feels like his world is crashing around him. The sun and wind brushes his face, and he hears the seagulls and people talking, but nothing registers in his freezing anxiety. His veins are filled with ice, unable to be melted under the hot gaze of the sun. It's that dreadful numbness that flows in his limbs, feeling like a drug that incapacitates him, rendering him unable to do anything but inhale and exhale, his own breath and heartbeat the only things he can hear.

Techno stares at the two taking in every movement, every single breath. It's a moment held in time, a deadly silence filling the air and spreading around the three men.

Neither man speaks, and Techno knows it's not from lack of anything to say, but rather that they don't deserve to have a voice now. However, if either had tried to defend themselves, it would make this a lot easier for the father of this coveted child.

"You both know that it's wrong. It's... vile. Horrific. You two- you two are more than triple his age and I can see you both staring, _wanting_ something so disgusting. He's a child. Tommy isn't old enough to understand that the way you touch him isn't innocent. He think of you both as uncles, as a part of his _family._ And you... take advantage of that. Take advantage of how young he is to get closer and satisfy something inside you." Techno pauses to take a breath, still staring at both men. Phil keeps his eyes on the ground. Wilbur looks down as well, but his eyes are obscured by his hair. Techno has a fleeting moment of amusement as he compares the sight in front of him to how he reprimanded Tommy and Tubbo earlier in the day for breaking a plate. It's gone in a second as he recalls that the kid is the exact reason for this conversation.

"You both know that I can't let it continue. I'd be a worse monster than either of you to just let my _son_ be the... subject of your desires. Tommy comes before either of you. He's my responsibility to take care of, and make sure he doesn't get, fucking, _molested_ by his godfathers!" Techno goes on, getting more irate with every word, his anger present and shattering the impartial way he appeared earlier.

"He doesn't deserve to get fucked up because neither of you can control yourselves! He's a child for fuck's sake! I shouldn't have to actively fear leaving him alone with one of you. Tommy should grow up around people who love him and want the best for him. He deserves a family wants to see him grow and learn and not _being raped_. Why couldn't you both just love him like a son and not this fucked up amalgamation of love that you've created? What you two are forcing on him can't even be classified as love, it's a horrifying parody of the idea of love." 

Techno turns, eyes catching the figures of two boys playing in the water. His tangent cuts off, his angry words dropping in the moment he can see his son so joyful in the water. A second passes and Techno thinks of how devastated the kid will be, knowing that he'll have to tell the boy that he can never see these two again. It hurts because he recalls how excited Tommy was to see the two. He had begged his father to let the two men come along, so excited to see them again.

Even though these men have a twisted idea of their love for the kid, Tommy gives them the purest and most innocent love in return. 

He pauses. Techno knows that it's dangerous but it's the only option. He could tell them to just leave. Demand they leave and never talk to him or Tommy ever again. Even better, he could _call the goddamn police_. Put these disgusting men in prison, let them rot far away where they couldn't reach his son. (But a quiet voice whispers that it's not the real reason the idea tumbles in his head.)

He glances at both men, and he's reminded of everything they've gone through. Long nights spent talking with Wilbur, hours recording with Phil. Jokes and tears and smiles all given to the two. Months of his life. (Years of Tommy's.)

Technoblade breathes.

(Tommy deserves better. Tommy deserves the world. Tommy deserves so much better than Techno can give him.)

They spend a minute in silence, not one of them talking.

It's a mistake. It will be the worst mistake of his life, Techno knows it. Someone will end up hurt, and it's likely that'll be his _son_. He could just turn and _leave_ and let Tommy grow up happy and content.

But Techno can't force himself to just walk away.

"Neither of you will be alone with Tommy." Techno starts, seeing slight movements from both men. It's almost like his quiet words slowly revive the two corpses in front of him.

"We won't meet up as much. Neither of you can come to our house or Tommy's school unprompted." Techno keeps on, watching Wilbur and Phil as he speaks. He eyes them like they're wild animals, tense and prepared to jump out and strike at any moment.

"I will sit in on any conversations. Even just a video call over discord can't be had unless I'm in the room with Tommy." 

"Neither of you get to look at or touch Tommy unless it's _friendly_." Both men shift a bit. Wilbur looks up.

"Neither of you will disobey anything I just said. If either of you even think of trying something, then that's it. Then I'm fucking calling the police and filing a restraining order. On _both_ of you, even if it was just one of you." Phil still looks at the ground, but Wilbur's eyes hesitantly meet Techno's.

Disgust meets his gaze, so filled with hate that it stills Wilbur's heart for a second.

"Do you both understand?" Techno asks, still glaring into Wilbur's eyes.

Wilbur nods, eyes not leaving him.

"Why?" Phil asks, breaking the hate filled stare. Techno looks to his older friend's face.

"Why give us another chance?"

"Because even if Tommy doesn't deserve these perverted wishes, he does deserve to grow up not having to know that his uncles wanted to fuck him." Techno responds. Phil and Wilbur nod.

Its quiet again, with no more talking.

Technoblade has made a deal with two demons, signed Tommy's innocence away for the promise of his happiness. It makes him sicker than seeing either man touch his son, because he's now an accomplice in their sick desires.

Pattering feet are heard on the sand, as Tommy and Tubbo run up to the umbrella. The two boys are smiling and dripping wet, the sun slowly drying the water still on either of them.

Techno notices that it's around noon, so he grabs the two boys their lunches, as the two slide into the shade still engaged in conversation.

"Tubbo, that's dumb and it wouldn't work like at all."

"But Tommy! If you think about it, we'd just need a few hours, and we could totally make a giant sandcastle! Like, big enough to walk into! We'd be the beach kings and make crowns out of seashells."

"Psh, their can only be one beach king, Tubbo. You'd have to be the beach... prince or something." Tommy is interrupted by Tubbo's little gasp.

"I could be the beach princess! Like a mermaid."

"Tubbo. You're not a princess."

"Only because we don't have a castle." 

The boys bicker and Techno watches them, a gentle smile on his face for what feels like the first time in a year.

When Techno looks at the other two adults, both have averted their eyes from the wet children.

It makes Techno's smile increase a little bit more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really spoiling everyone today lol. Don't expect two updates every day.
> 
> And may I just say, 'Wilby' is criminally underused in fluffy family fics, so I have to put it in this not-so-fluffy fic.


	4. Heavenly Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The love is overwhelming!! Thanks to everyone who's reading :)
> 
> Haha, sorry for the long wait time for this chapter. I had a difficult time trying to put my ideas for the second scene down, and for a few days I only wrote like two sentences.

Tommy is spinning in Techno's office chair. He's going quite quickly, so Techno grabs onto the chair and it stops, the child nearly falling out at the abrupt halt. He glares at his father, but Techno just calmly moves to sit in a chair in the corner.

The clock on the computer reads '5:28.' It's still early in the afternoon, and Techno is hoping that this goes quickly so Tommy won't have to stay up all night finishing homework. His son is rocking in the chair a bit, his feet kicking out in front of him. 

Part of Techno hopes that they won't call, that Tommy will have a quiet night of disappointment and they can bake cookies to cheer him up.

The screen lights up in a discord call.

Tommy sits up, scooting the chair forward and clicking the 'accept' button. He smiles at the screen as it's suddenly filled with the video feed of two men.

"HELLO!" Tommy shouts, and the shining smile Techno can see on his face almost makes the anxiety he feel worth it.

Both men greet him with enthusiasm, though not quite as loudly as the kid. Technoblade's son is beaming at the monitor, and it makes his heart ache to see his son so delighted at such demonic presences.

Phil's voice comes from the speakers, hesitant and filled with nerves.

"Tommy, is your father there?" The child rolls his eyes and reaches his small hands up to the webcam, his video momentarily filled with only Tommy's moving hands. Soon, though, the camera is aimed at Techno, who waves at his son holding the webcam to face him. Then the camera is a blur as the boy returns it to the top of the computer.

The three continue talking, and Techno ignores the lively conversation. He knows the threat of him just being in the room is enough to deter any unsavory conversation topics. With the first few monitored video calls, Techno had been actively listening and had to veto a couple topics Tommy had brought up. But now he knows he just needs to sit in and all three are on their best behavior.

He has his phone to pass the time on, but he instead finds himself gazing at Tommy. He talks with such animation, gesturing at the camera and waving his arms around. It makes Techno smile to be reminded of just how much energy the kid has at any moment, so jittery and unable to hold still. He looks overjoyed at being able to recount his day with the two adults, and Techno vaguely hears him telling a story about how he and Tubbo had been sent to the office the other day for accidentally cutting a girl's hair in class. (That was a fun call to receive. It was worth it, though, to see Tommy's horrified expression at the principle's suggestion that it was flirty 'pig-tail pulling.')

He realizes with a start that Tommy is looking at him, and silence rings in the room.

"Uh, what, Tommy?" Techno asks, since he hadn't heard whatever he was supposed to be commenting on.

"Dad! Phil said you are probably shit at cooking." Tommy says, the evil glint in his eye at saying a cuss word. Techno could reprimand the kid for relaying the exact thing Phil had said, but he's having so much fun that it wouldn't hurt to let the boy enjoy this moment.

"Tell Phil that he's probably shittier at cooking than I am." Techno decides on, and Tommy's face smiles so wide Techno's scared he'll hurt something in his face.

"Phil! Dad says you are shittier at cooking than him!" The kid giggles, hearing Phil's offended gasp coming from the computer. Techno gives himself a moment to just pretend that this is how it always is, with no fear or hatred, just happiness. Just a second where he can pretend that this is his life, filled with joy and peace, a world where it's safe for him to leave his friends with his son, to let them talk without fear of something going wrong. He opens his eyes and sees Tommy mid-laugh, his mouth open wide and the expression on his face one of pure joy. It makes Techno sad that Tommy can't always look so blissful.

In the past year, everything Techno demanded of the two men was strictly followed. Fewer meet-ups, Techno sitting in on every discord call, and neither man approached the father and son without previously discussed permission. It made life a lot easier, since now Techno wasn't stressed out everyday, only once a week for their video calls.

He'd given Tommy the excuse that Phil and Wilbur were getting more busy, which Tommy had been very upset about. When Tommy asked Techno if the two men could come with them for his eighth birthday, Techno had quickly refused. The kid wanted to go to the arcade to play games with Tubbo, but the crowded environment filled with children? That really didn't sound like a fun place to be keeping an eye on two kids, even without the added anxiety of the other two men.

It was still a fun day, with Tommy and Tubbo dragging him around for about four hours earning tickets and being terrible at video games. Techno mostly had sat back and supervised the children, but Tommy did insist he join in for a few shooter games. (Which Techno wasn't great at, if he's being honest.) Then the kids ran around the 'prize area,' and bought a ton of candy and cheap toys. 

The rest of the call goes on peacefully, and soon enough it's 8:00 and Techno interjects to tell Tommy to say goodbye. He protests but Techno reminds him of the homework he has yet to do, and Tommy reluctantly signs off. Once he hangs up, Techno relaxes and leaves the room.

It's a little later than Techno would like, but he enters the kitchen to fix a snack for the kid. He'd picked up on his son's stomach rumbling during the last half an hour of the conversation, and since Tommy will be stuck in his room for a while, it's the least he can do.

He hums quietly as he cuts an apple, slicing into the white flesh. Grabbing a small bag of crisps, he adds it on the plate and walks to Tommy's room.

Silently sliding the door open, he sees Tommy sitting at his small desk, flicking his pencil between two fingers. His head rests on his hand, and he looks blankly at the floor. It's a stark contrast to how gleeful he had looked an hour prior, he now sits still except for the movements of his pencil. The eight-year old stares blankly, eyes flickering a bit but taking nothing in. Techno shifts in the doorway and knocks on the doorframe.

Tommy's head snaps upwards, eyes widening at the sudden movement. The man smiles and enters the room, setting the plate of snacks down on the desk. It's nothing too fancy, but the kid quickly grabs the crisps and snacks on them as Techno hovers behind his chair. It's one of those moments where he knows he should say something, but no words come to him. Even after five years of taking care of the child, Techno still finds himself, at moments like these, hesitating to take the first step to reach out to his son. It's like crossing a large ravine on an invisible bridge, logically he knows that there's a path to the other side, but forcing himself to take the first step into the air on a path he can't see feels impossible.

The boy turns his head to look at his father, still chewing, and it feels obvious that both have something to say and no idea how to voice it. Techno hesitates, then speaks.

"What homework do you have to do?"

It's not what he wants to say, not even close to it. So much is left unsaid, but somehow it fills the silence and begins to make an effort at crossing that deep void. It's a distraction, but a welcome one.

Tommy smiles, turning to his open maths book. Techno pulls a chair up next to the kid's desk, and the rest of the night is spent as a father helping his son with maths homework, both enjoying simple apple slices.

It's mid-afternoon when a discord call comes in for Phil. He's sitting and editing a video when the screen pops up, the name and icon surprising him. Most often, he's left sitting and waiting for a certain time each week when he can see this icon pop up in a video call.

But today, Techno is calling him and Wilbur out of the blue.

It arouses surprise, but not disbelief in the man. Though uncommon, it isn't unheard of for the father-son duo to call at an unexpected time, typically when Tommy begs or has had a bad day and just needs the other two. He settles into his chair and hits 'accept call.'

Tommy appears on his screen and it's like a breathe of fresh air. The boy's lopsided smile splits his face in two, his troublesome eyes darting back and forth between the computer screen and something out of frame. He looks nervous, like he's relishing in his own disobedience but still weary of a punishment yet to come. Phil can tell he's keeping something secret, but he's reluctant to ask and make the kid upset or uncomfortable. He can distantly hear another person entering the call, assuming that Wilbur has connected as well.

The kid grins at the other two men, and Phil can feel his heart beating faster. It fills him with disgust, knowing that the child's smile is enough to make him feel like this. Phil greets the kid, a practiced easy smile on his face. A second later, Wilbur's voice cuts in.

"Hello Tommy! This is a pleasant surprise." Tommy's smile only grows, his attention focused on the screen and both video feeds.

"Hi Wilby! Hi Phil! I finished my homework so I wanted to call and talk because I couldn't wait until next week and I have to tell you something now!" Tommy rambles, his excitement infectious to the other two men. Phil knows that the gentle feeling of adoration he's found himself in is dangerous, so easy to fall beneath the surface into something more threatening.

Phil glances to Wilbur's camera, and his soft, fond expression would be sweet in any other scenario. The gentle smile that reaches his eyes, looking so enraptured with the boy miles away. His bottom lip is caught in between his teeth, gently gnawing at the soft flesh. If Phil is terrified of dipping beneath the surface of the deep depths of affection he feels for the kid, Wilbur has already drowned beneath the heavy waves.

Tommy keeps talking, happily recounting a part of his day, but all Phil can focus on is how he bounces in his chair. The child is so filled with energy that it seems that he needs to be constantly moving to work it off, lest he burst into flames from all the energy he has. It's intoxicating, seeing just how beautiful he is in his youthful innocence. The kid can't sit still, but for all his restless movements, his voice never raises above a quieter level. This occurs to Phil as he has to turn his headphone volume up, which is uncommon when talking with the kid. Did Techno ask him to keep his voice down for the call?

The man's back straightens in an instant at the recollection of Tommy's father. In the excitement of an unexpected call from the boy, Phil had momentarily forgotten about the rules put in place. Those rules that are set to reign both men in, to keep Tommy _safe_. 

"Tommy? Is your dad in the room with you?" Phil asks when the kid takes a breath that interrupts his quick talking. He can visibly see Tommy pause, hesitation crossing his face. He looks to the side, drawing his lip into his mouth, and that movement alone is almost enough to distract Phil from the previous question. But no, the rules are in place to protect them, all of them, from something bad happening. It's the measures put in place to hide that unsavory thing from the world. The seeds may already be planted in the ground, but the rules serve as a cage placed over the tiny sprouts. Those rules block out the sunlight and aim to suffocate the little green sprouts that have grown up, those little plants that threaten to infest everything. Phil's attention is drawn to the child again as his sheepish smile fills the screen.

"Well, dad is downstairs working right now. He said he isn't gonna be done for like another hour so I thought I could talk to you both for a little until he was done." He has the decency to look slightly remorseful in his disobedience. 

Phil's blood runs cold. The sweet atmosphere evaporates with Tommy's words, and all that's left is the desolate chill of fear. Both men know that this is something prohibited, that it could very well evolve into something evil. All that rushes through Phil's mind is the threat of Techno coming into the room, seeing the two, and making true on his promise to remove Tommy from their lives permanently. Knowing that he's so close to losing this little light in his life makes him want to vomit. 

Wilbur's breath hitches, and Phil is certain the man is preparing to hang up on the child, as he himself is planning to do. No matter how much it will disappoint the boy, it's a risk that could consume both men's lives. But when Wilbur speaks, it isn't to dismiss himself.

"Tommy, if you want to keep talking with us, then you have to promise me that you'll never say anything to your dad, alright?" Phil freezes, being roped into the looming danger that Wilbur proposed. He can see the child's face light up, and it's sickening to see how delighted the kid looks at the prospect of keeping something from his dad. How easy Wilbur can shape and manipulate Tommy into his games, the kid seeking validation from the two older men. 

It violates the rules, those things that both had to agree to abide by. No, it's _exactly_ what Techno told them never do. That one sentence uttered from Wilbur's lips opens up so many doors. Behind some of these doors is the child's ruin, his very destruction at the hands of the two men he trusts so closely. Behind others, thick metal bars and cold cells, quiet conversations and discomfort. Behind all of them, however, is Tommy's tears and growing hatred. Every door opens to trauma, to confusion, to fear.

Phil thinks of his friend, of the mercy to be allowed in Tommy's life despite the perverted thoughts and cravings. He thinks of how horrified he would look at Wilbur's proposition and all that it offered. He wonders what Tommy would think if he knew everything the men wanted from his weak little body. He wonders if Tommy could understand half of the things for what they really were even if he did know. What makes Phil shudder is the knowledge that the kid would readily agree to every little thing one of them asked him. The boy so desperate for their attention and love, that he would go along with any request.

And that's a dangerous thought. Knowing just how easy it would be to steal the kid away from his father, away from his own innocence. How sweet and pretty and _willing_ the child would be at any touch. It's a power trip, just knowing that the boy is so needy for these two men, for anything they would want to give him. Tommy has always been needy, but imagining the boy (the _kid_ ) begging on his knees for something so disgusting and morally wrong has Phil worked up. Nearly worked up enough to go along with Wilbur's intoxicating game, walking the line of danger and something so so _wrong_ but still so satisfying. 

Yet at the last second, he pulls himself back from the ledge of his most sinful desires. It's nauseating, seeing just how close he'd been to jumping down, deep into the cold earth, so deep that he would never again be able to climb out. 

Wilbur and Tommy are talking again, but all their words are lost on Phil's guilty ears. He's spiraling deeper and deeper into his mind, and in a split second decision, he throws himself away from the computer, away from the microphone that connects him to the innocent child he so desperately wants to corrupt. The quiet conversation stops.

"Phil?" Tommy asks, his voice asking a silent question the man so severely wants to answer in honest. He wants to tell the kid exactly what he wants from him, wants to tell him the thoughts that have him recoiling in the daytime but are so prevalent in the dark depths of the night. When under the cover of darkness he can let those evil thoughts fill his head and force him over the edge, then pretend as the sun rises, that nothing had ever happened. He wants to warn the kid, show him just what the two men would ask of him, of how deeply he would need to prove his love for the two. He feels a clawing need to warn the kid of the grim and petrifying monster that lays beneath his skin, pretending to be something human on the outside, yet resembles nothing human underneath.

It's searing, the desire to bear himself to the kid, let it be known so Tommy will finally understand how _dangerous_ Phil could be. It would be better if Tommy knew, if he was able to hang up and run away from the two who could so easily take advantage of his young, innocent mind. The child walks with lions, frolics with the threat of being wholly consumed in the moment one goes hungry.

He hesitates, the words filling his mouth like warm blood ready to fall from his lips and show the kid just what he truly is.

"I need to leave." These words come to him instead, pitiful placeholders for his true intentions. Tommy frowns, and it nearly convinces Phil to remain in the call, consequences be damned. (What Phil wants from the child would make him frown a million times over.) 

"Oh. Well I'll see you later, right?" Tommy asks, a hopeful lilt to his voice as Phil stares at his mouse hovering on the 'disconnect' button. He forces his eyes to stay on the red icon, knowing that if he breaks his stare with the button, his eyes will be drawn to the child's pouting face. ( _God,_ what Phil would do for the kid's pouty lips.) 

He makes a half-assuring and half-dismissive noise, and before the kid utters another word into the mic, Phil hits the button to hang up. The silence previously filled with Tommy's rambling anecdotes now barren and all-consuming in the small room. 

(Phil wants to join the call again, to see Tommy's grin and hear about the kid's day. He wishes he could talk to the boy without his sinful desires filling him, without his greed making itself known in the back of his mind. It'd be easier to love the child if he didn't want the boy in the way he does.) 

The quiet burns into him, forcing its way into his soul.

(He deserves it. He deserves to be burnt beyond recognition, broken beyond repair.) 

(Isn't he already?) 

His fingers twitch, and he's typing out a discord message to Wilbur.

(He deserves to rot alone forever, remain unloved and unknown to the rest of the world.)

( Isn't he already?)

'We need to talk.'

(Tommy deserves something better, to not be preyed upon by these men. He doesn't deserve to be manipulated and formed into something just for the other two's pleasure.)

(Isn't he already?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aghhhhh I don't know if I like the ending of this. I wanted to do something with repetition and an open-ended question. (The end alludes to Tommy already having been manipulated and/or made into something of a deified sex thing by Wilbur and Phil's demented minds. I have lost the ability to critique my own work, please someone tell me if that was clear in the way I wrote it or if I should change the ending to be better :D )
> 
> Me sitting down to finally write the second half of this chapter:  
> Mum: Why don't you clean the kitchen? :)  
> Me finally getting into writing and excited to finally finish the scene:  
> Mum: Take dog for a walk? :)
> 
> Also, comments are greatly appreciated! Even if you just want to quote a line you thought worked especially well in this chapter, I love getting feedback! Feel free to comment about anything, I love hearing from y'all.


	5. Fall From Grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe we get a bit of Phil redemption? As a treat :)
> 
> This chapter sucked to get out, so I'm sorry for the delay! I really only had an idea for the ending, so everything else isn't very substantial. Enjoy!

Phil's heart beats at a quicks pace as his cursor hovers over the 'call' button. He knows the conversation he's about to have won't be pleasant, but it feels inevitable.

A second later, the chime indicating someone joining the call is heard. Phil draws a shakey breath, and focuses on the steady feeling of his lungs expanding and contracting. His rapidly beating heart feels like it's been relocated to his throat.

"Hello?" Wilbur's soft voice fills the air in Phil's room, and dread fills his whole body.

"Wilbur." He responds, mostly to show the other man that he is able to hear him.

He receives a gentle chuckle, but no further words. He takes a moment to settle his breathing.

"We need to talk about what happened with Tommy." It's the best integration into what they need to talk about. Part of Phil still wants to run away, rather than face the truth of his feelings. But Tommy deserves more than his weakness.

"Yes, I assumed that from your message. What exactly did you want to say?" Wilbur's voice is filled with mirth, and the care-free attitude throws Phil off guard. The tone Wilbur sets feels jovial but familiar, and it takes a moment before the other man realizes that it's the exact way of speaking Wilbur adapts when streaming. It's uncommon when Wilbur is off-camera, and certainly foreign whenever Phil finds himself in a call with the other, but now he takes in the silent signs. His tone is filled with a sweetness, but hidden beneath the words is an analyzing and calculating mind. He's waiting for Phil's reaction, biding his time and searching for the best way to play off of him, as he does so often when performing for thousands of people. 

"You know that it can't happen again."

A brief pause, as Wilbur collects himself.

"Tommy said he won't tell Techno." Phil inhales to keep himself from screaming.

"That's not the point, Wilbur." The silence returns, and Phil can almost hear the thoughts filtering through Wilbur's mind.

"It wasn't _our_ fault, Tommy started the call. If Techno found out, we could just say that we hadn't known he wasn't aware of the call." His stomach ties into knots, and he despises himself for just how eager he is to follow along with Wilbur's plan. 

"But if he _had_ found out, Wilbur? What then?" Wilbur audibly stops breathing for a minute, but he quickly resumes his confident stance.

"It wouldn't be hard to convince him, just a tidy lie and-" 

"Are you prepared to lose Tommy?" Phil interrupts. The younger man's breathing pauses for a longer time, now. When he begins his next sentence, it sickens Phil.

"If I had my way, I'd never be apart for him."

Just how deep into his affections has Wilbur sunk? Phil asks himself how he's come to stand on the same level as this man that he talks with. What makes it worse is the fact that every word that comes from Wilbur's lips have played through Phil's own head a million times. These same arguments have ingrained themselves in his head, only now vocalized through the younger man. How many nights has he allowed his perverted fantasies to be permitted, even justified under these weak excuses? Countless hours of tearing himself apart only to fall back into the disgusting comfort of his affections.

Phil needs to respond; Wilbur is awaiting an answer. The silence falls heavy on the older's shoulders, until it's overbearing. He wets his lips and opens his mouth to speak-

A gentle chime sounds, and suddenly Phil's screen returns to his and Wilbur's messages. Phil blinks, barely processing that _Wilbur just hung up on him_ , before a message comes through.

Wilbur has sent a file through discord, sitting quaint and unopened in their private messages. The older man stares at it for what feels like an eternity, the name giving nothing away about its contents. He clicks on the file, a separate window opening on his monitor, and what lies on the page stills his breathing entirely. 

All the fills the screen is Tommy, his toothy smile slightly pixelated but still present on his young face. Distantly, Phil notes that Tommy looks younger than he does now, telling that the photo had probably been taken around a year ago. The child's nose is scrunched up slightly, his eyes shut and a plaster on his cheek. Phil can't help but stare at the frozen moment, memorizing every fold of skin and gentle pigment on the boy.

Tommy's teeth aren't perfect (He'll need braces in the future, and if Phil ever said that he'd never fantasized about sloppy teenage kisses, getting cut on the bulky wires and forcing his own blood into the boy's mouth, then he would be lying. (Probably to a judge)), but he smiles like he knows it's enough to brighten the frame. It's like world spins around the boy immortalized in this photo (Phil's world does anyways). 

Phil's hand hasn't left his mouse, and he accidentally flicks his finger over the scroll wheel, and the page moves down slightly. It shatters his focus on the boy and he looks down the page, seeing another picture.

In this photo, Tommy is greatly younger. His face is softer and holds a bit of baby weight, cheeks plush and soft. He glares at the camera, and presumably his father who's behind it. A coloring book is open on the ground, and the corner of the page that is visible holds colorful scribbles, mostly inside the lines. Tommy's little pout makes his bottom lip stick out, exposing the soft, lighter skin that's always wet from his tounge. His eyebrows are furrowed, a glare on his face as he's interrupted from his coloring by his father to take a photo. Phil's eyes rest on the untouched skin of his face and neck, glowing under the dim lighting like a stain under a black light. 

Another scroll down and a picture of Tommy's lithe body is shown on Phil's screen. It burns to look at, and after a second of darting his eyes over the beautiful skin, Phil rushes to exit the window. His screen is empty and the background only makes the urge to reopen the file greater. The image of Tommy laying down, chest and legs exposed, only covered by tight swimming trunks sears itself into his eyelids. 

He sits back in his chair and breathes, staring at his ceiling, and trying not to blink lest he see the vivid picture of the kid's body laid out and open. Phil turns to gaze back at his computer, contemplating if he should reopen the file, when two new messages from Wilbur catch his eye.

_I know that if you could get away with it, you'd do the same things I would_

_Enjoy the photos, I have more if you ask nicely_

Phil sits up in his chair, back straightening as if someone could see him and these messages and know him for exactly what he is. His first reaction to reading these messages isto open the typing box, ready to beg if it means he gets the rest of these pictures. His second reaction is to gag, disgusted at his on thoughts as he throws himself back and rushes to the bathroom.

After a while of sitting next to the toilet and doing breathing exercises (The same ones he'd helped Techno with years ago, counting for the other man while he breathed), Phil returns to the setup, both dreading and hopefully anticipating any new messages from Wilbur. Nothing more has come from the man, but Phil once again sees the closed file in their messages, sitting so innocently despite the horrific contents.

He exits discord and leaves the room.

It's quiet in his house, the silence permeating everything and leaving the only noise a side the ringing in Phil's ears. It's for the best, never knowing the rest of what's in the file. Certainly worth it if it keeps Phil out of prison.

He returns to his computer a while later, and finishes his editing. Then he posts a video, and buys himself some takeout. 

The ringing in his ears never leaves him, nor does the subtle stench of vomit coming from his bathroom. The only reminders of a bad mistake.

Phil is fine. He breathes and breathes until his lungs feel too full and he has to exhale to keep from one popping. His heart beats a steady rhythm, a fast tempo within his chest that keeps him moving. Phil is fine.

He goes to sleep, despite not feeling tired. He lies in bed and waits for sleep to take him away from the world, silently hoping to never wake up.

(Midnight strikes the clock, the pitch black swallowing everything in its path. It's deadly quiet throughout the city, an occasional car driving by or silent whisper in the night breeze.

In a quiet house, the only light emerges from a blinding computer screen, casting a shadow on a hunched over figure sitting before it.

With a few clicks, a file supposed to be long forgotten is transferred on the desktop.

The images it contains are a secret, only whispered amongst the wind in the deadliest of forests, only to be seen in the darkest of nights.

Afterall, no one needs to know what happens in the dark.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bitchass really said 'Phil redemption? No ❤️'
> 
> Lol sorry. Basically, this chapter is meant to show Phil's moral grayness! He tries to overcome his issues and ignore what he wants, but if he faced no consequences for his actions, he'd act as ambitious as Wilbur does. He isn't necessarily disgusted with himself bc Tommy is a child, but more so bc of society and of the fear of punishment.
> 
> Wilbur is calling Phil out for being a hypocrite!! Phil pretends to care for the kid when he wants the same thing Wilbur does; he just fears the punishment.
> 
> And sorry of this chapter feels like filler! It sort of is to be honest. The wait probably wasn't worth it, but this was one of the chapters that I needed to get out to further the plot, even if I'm not content with it. Sorry!
> 
> (Also, author barely uses discord, so if something is wrong, then I'm sorry. I prefer to portray emotion and events rather than technological accuracy!)


	6. The Bittersweet Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been trying to think through the ending of the story before posting this chapter, because I want the end to be surprising but still make sense. I feel like I've written myself into a bit of a box, but I know the general idea of how this story will end and what motivates the characters that bring about this ending. This will undoubtedly be the last 'filler' chapter before the beginning of the conclusion (I'm thinking two parts for the ending bc I want to go into HEAVY detail on characters and fantasies for the ending). This is mostly unplanned, and if it seems to be of a lesser quality from the previous chapters, then just know that it's because I struggled with so much in the chapter (mainly writer's block!). Thank you for your support, and enjoy!

Techno’s eyes open slowly, the fuzzy warmth of sleep gradually leaving him. His mind is still foggy and filled with a sweet haze as he scans the room around him. It's a bad habit, falling asleep on the couch when he has a bed that's so much more comfortable, but most of the time Tommy's here with him, watching a movie or playing his laptop with Tubbo. 

He's awake enough to realize that the loud child isn't in the room, but it takes a minute for him to wonder where his son is instead.

A loud laugh comes from down the hallway, answering his question. He can hear two voices, and Tommy trying to keep quiet and failing. Tommy must have called Tubbo after he'd fallen asleep, and moved to a different room to not wake the sleeping man.

Techno shifts and a blanket that definetly wasn't there when he had fallen asleep slips from his shoulders, exposing his skin to the cold air. A shiver runs down his spine, and he considers just rolling over and drifting off again, but Tommy probably needs to be reminded to actually do his homework instead of talking to Tubbo all night. He reluctantly stands, grabbing a sweatshirt that was probably clean from the floor. 

He walks down the hallway, still sluggish from resting, and gently pushes his own bedroom door open. Resting against the doorframe, Tommy's excited laughter is much more audible. His laugh has always been loud and a bit jarring, and Techno knows that some of the other kids in his class have been teasing the 10-year old about it. 

Tommy is snickering at whatever Tubbo must be doing in view of the camera, his lips curling up and showing slightly crooked teeth. Techno makes a brief note in his mind to look into taking the kid to an orthodontist for braces, or at least asking the dentist at his next check-in. It's dismissed quickly as he simply relaxes in the moment, eyes nearly slipping shut as his tired body aches to return to the couch and lie down again. Tommy isn't super active, but it's been stressful enough getting the kid to classes and his extracurricular activities, not to mention the taxes he dreads filling out each year.

The gentle yellow light from a lamp turned on in the corner falls over the child's face. Soft shadows are cast around the room, and the atmosphere is warm and sweet. Techno had never been a fan of extravagantly decorated walls (He'd balked when Tommy suggested getting bright red paint for his room), so the cream colored walls add to the warm feel of the room. Of course, the warmth is most likely coming from the computer Tommy's been using, even the computer fans not enough to keep the heat from radiating all throughout the room.

Techno jerks his head upwards from where it was beginning to fall on his chest. He rubs an eye with his hand, trying to keep himself awake, if just to ask his son if his homework is finished. The kid has been talking and laughing this entire time, but as Techno zones back into the conversation, his body stiffens at the other voice.

It's distinctly not the boy's sweet friend, with his high-pitched and bubbly cadence. This voice is rougher, lower, and sweet with something artificially unnatural, and it takes the man a second to realize exactly who the voice belongs to.

It clicks in his mind just as Wilbur starts to ask Tommy a question, the child still enraptured with the older man, his gaze not breaking from the screen. Techno doesn't comprehend the query, but it sends the child into a fit of giggles. The man's mind is filled with panic and fear and mostly-

" _What the fuck?_ " 

He vocalizes his first thought, instantly drawing the full attention of both Tommy and Wilbur. Tommy's head had whipped around, now staring into the doorway where his father stands, not wrathful but in a state of confusion, alarm and _panic_. 

Aware of the other man in the call, but not of the severity of the situation, Tommy nervously smiles and does what has a habit of doing when he can tell he's done something wrong; start talking.

"Heyyyyyyyy dad! I didn't know you were awake, since you looked tired and fell asleep in the living room, so I was like, 'Hey, why don't I go talk to Wilby?' Because he wasn't there at our last call and I really wanted to tell him how much I liked his new song. Have you heard it, dad? It goes like DU DU DU-"

"Tommy, get up." Techno interrupts, speaking over Tommy's weak attempt at diffusing the tension. The kid looks alarmed at his father's sudden seriousness, but tries to recover some control of the situation.

"We were just talking! You can sit in and listen now, I just wanted to talk to Wilby and-"

"Tommy, _go to your room_." The man interrupts again, and Tommy visibly considers speaking again, but something in Techno's expression has him slinking out of the room with a quiet apology whispered into the empty air. Techno can barely breathe through his anger, which was misdirected at his son. He'll need to apologize later, but right now that's the furthest thing from his mind. 

He looks at the screen, seeing Wilbur's face, which holds an easy grin. It throws the other man off for a second, Wilbur's Cheshire smile, but does little to ease the growing tension he feels building in his body.

"Well, you didn't have to go that hard on the poor kid. He practically ran out of the room with a tail between his legs." Wilbur breaks the silence first, his easy confidence stiffening Techno's shoulders.

" _What the fuck Wilbur?_ " Techno asks, mind unable to grip this practiced ease with which Wilbur speaks to him. Wilbur raises his hands in defense, and the father realizes just how badly he wants Wilbur to be there so he can punch him.

"Listen, I understand that what just happened was against the rules you gave Phil and I, but Tommy called me first! The kid said he was having a bad day and just needed someone to talk to, so I figured I may as well spend an hour cheering him up. Am I such a bad guy for wanting him to be happy?" Wilbur asks, and Techno pauses. Was Tommy having a bad day? The kid hadn't mentioned anything to him.

The anger quickly returns, however, when he looks at Wilbur through the monitor.

"You are an adult. You shouldn't be feeding into this toxic relationship and making him depend on you for comfort." Wilbur scoffs.

"Well it's hardly _my_ fault that the kid is so attention hungry! Phil was there for the one other time this happened, but you aren't berating _him_."

Techno sighs, hand coming up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. He's never been big on drinking but this infuriating interaction is persuading him to pick up a bottle.

"Whatever. Stay in this call, I'm getting Phil."

Wilbur chuckles a ' _sure thing_ ' as Techno leaves, quickly entering Phil's VC.

The noise signaling that he's joined the call sounds, and Phil must take a second to glance over at discord to see who's entered unannounced. His breath hitches, but he addresses the other.

"Hey Techno, what's-"

"Phil, _what the fuck_ , why didn't you tell me?"

There's a noticeable pause, but with the way Phil reacts, he has no doubt the other man knows what he's referring to.

"Fuck, Techno. I'm streaming right now, why don't you give me a minute to end stream so we can talk?" The way Phil speaks in a pacifying voice means that he's trying to not upset Techno further, so the situation doesn't escalate. Techno takes a deep breath, trying to remind himself that he shouldn't make the fans aware of any part of this situation. It'd destroy him, not to mention he fears that it could get Tommy taken away.

"Fine. Join Wilbur's call once you're done." He leaves as soon as he hears Phil's confirmation, entering the original call once again. Wilbur's camera is turned off, as is his own. They wait in silence until a chime is heard, signalling the older man has joined. Techno speaks up, the words coming to him easier than they have before.

"Why the fuck did neither of you tell me sooner that Tommy had been calling you without my knowing?"

Wilbur takes initiative, seeming desperate to speak before the other can.

"It was only two times, Techno. Just a few months ago and today, I swear. Tommy will tell you, it's only been those two."

"I'm not asking when, I'm asking why _neither of you thought that I should know._ " 

Phil is the one to speak up when Wilbur doesn't come up with an answer.

"Well, we didn't know that you weren't aware. The first time it happened, I didn't think to ask, since you've been there for all the other ones. Once we realized that you weren't in the room... we left. It upset Tommy but that's better than never seeing the kid again."

Techno breathes. He knows the rules he put in place for Tommy's protection, and he _knows_ what could happen if they aren't followed. Nevertheless, Phil sounds genuinely sorry and Wilbur's explanations make sense. The decision he makes is easy, like falling back into a drinking addiction or betting on just _one_ more hand of cards. It's practiced, simple, an easy comfort that's all too easy to fall backwards into.

"If this ever happens again, I'm going to follow through on cutting you both out of his life."

Wilbur hums in response, unworried, in a way that suggests the threat doesn't worry him. Later, when Techno has settled Tommy into bed (And provided the kid with a few sweets and a promise to call with Wilbur and Phil tomorrow), he wonders if the other man knows that he wouldn't be able to.

Well, he wouldn't be able to unless there was a catalyst, something to kickstart his sense and reason.

As Techno stands in his room, computer shut down and Tommy sleeping soundly, it feels foreboding. Not the calm before the storm, but perhaps the eye of a hurricane, in which Wilbur and Phil have been resting dormant for too long. The air holds a hesitance, a quiet hum coming from the house, mirroring the gentle vibration the musician had given earlier.

Something was coming, Techno was sure. An event, a surprise, maybe even a catalyst. 

But despite what was coming, he knew that Tommy lay safely tucked into his bed, just a few rooms away. And for now, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooo, Wilbur and Phil are lyinggggggggg
> 
> I was struggling with this chapter so much, but eventually I just sat down and said 'yeah, let's get this done' and... wrote all of this in about two and a half hours. The power of dedication!! Woooo
> 
> I know that this ending might seem a bit contradictory to Techno's earlier statements, but I want to further the fact that Techno is morally dubious as well. He's trying to be the best father he can be, but the human part of him is desperate to keep these two men in his life. Though he seems like he'll never follow through right now, the conclusion should hopefully satisfy everyone. :) 
> 
> (Also totally not me using 'child' 'kid' and 'boy' waaay too much bc I don't know synonyms for those words ;) )


	7. The Cliff at The End Of The World (pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one of the conclusion! Get ready for some character exploration, y'all. This chapter and the following get into fucked-up shit, so I feel obligated to say;
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING!  
> Don't read if you feel uncomfortable with;  
> a minor being sexualized for plot development, Some really fucked-up fantasies, Descriptions of blood, gore, and possible violence, Mental instability, a Deep look into pedophilia,  
> (Once again,) Sexualization of a 12-year-old. (Seriously, the conclusion hinges on messed-up fantasies of a underage person. The author is not writing this for pleasure, but to intentionally make the reader uncomfortable with the subject material. My goal is to take the previous fantasy scenes and increase them to show the escalation of insanity, lust, and greed. Tommy is in year eight, or sixth grade. Please do not read if this will discomfort you, and please, if you will be discomforted by this, take regular breaks and drink plenty of water. <3 Don't force yourself through something you aren't mentally capable of handling.)  
> 

Tommy hated being left out of secrets. Even if it was just a kid in his class whispering something to another, Tommy just _needed_ to know what it was. It was something that got him into trouble a lot more than other kids, and regularly had him interrogating his best friend, Toby, whenever the boy knew something he didn't. Whether it was a new naughty word passed around by the older kids, or just a fact about bees, Tommy wanted to hear about _everything_.

So when he realized that his father was keeping something from his ears, it obviously became his one goal in life to figure out what it was. He had compiled a messily scrawled-out list in the back of his maths notebook, which had everything he knew about 'the BIG secret' as he and Toby had dubbed it. It got him in trouble a few times, when he would be scribbling down a new piece of information in the middle of mathematics class, and the teacher would come by, see the largely printed title, and confiscate his precious 'math notes.' (The notebook mostly contained doodles of dinosaurs, minecraft mobs, and bees, curtesy of his best friend.) He finally received the notebook back at the end of class, but that wouldn't stop him from pouting all the way to the lunchroom with Toby walking next to him. 

"Cheer up Tommy! Your handwriting is too messy for her to have been able to read much past the first line anyways." Toby comments in an attempt to cheer up the other boy, unintentionally insulting his writing. Tommy groaned and plopped down on a lunch bench, dropping his head to the table as well, as it fell on the mentioned notebook. 

"I'm not upset about _that_." Tommy whined, and Toby smiled doubtfully at him.

"Well, maybe a little. But mostly because it's been so long of having this list to figure out what the big secret is, but I'm still nowhere near close to finding it out! Dad won't tell me anything that actually makes sense to write out on the list, and everything we have doesn't lead to the answer." Tommy complained, still devastated at his own lack of knowledge while Toby opened his lunch box.

"Well, what all is on the list? Maybe the answer is right there, and you just need to think about it harder." Toby said with little care, as he bit into his sandwich.

"It isn't! The only things we know are that '1, I'm not allowed to talk to Wilby and Phil without dad knowing, 2, Wilby and Phil can't come over to see me anymore, and 3, That dad won't tell me because I'm not allowed to know!' There isn't any answer there, Tubbo! Just confusing rules that don't make any sense." Tommy groans, using the nickname he came up with for his shorter brunette friend. Toby chews his lunch thoughtfully, and just as Tommy is opening up his own lunch, he answers.

"Well, maybe they're dangerous." Toby says offhandedly, but his comment makes Tommy sputter.

"Dangerous? Why would they be dangerous? They ain't like those creepy guys the school tells us about, they're like my family! We always used to do fun stuff with Wilby and Phil, until one day it just... stopped." Tommy reflects, and Toby shrugs in response.

"Well, I don't know. Why else would your dad want to keep you away from them?" He ponders, and Tommy doesn't have a concrete answer for the other.

"I don't know. It's a damn conspiracy, that's what it is." Tommy says grumpily, and Toby looks at him in confusion.

"What's a conspiracy?" He asks, speech muffled from the food he's eating.

"A weird thing I don't know nothing 'bout." His blonde friend replies, finally getting to eating his food. They both munch in silence for a while, before Toby speaks up.

"Couldn't you just ask him? I mean, would he tell you?" Tommy scoffs.

"Rule three, Tubbo. I'm not allowed to know! Who knows why." He shakes his head dismissively, Toby humming in thought.

"Hmm, maybe your dad thinks you'd muck it up? Like, if you knew what was going on, then it'd ruin the surprise? Like a really long and drawn out surprise party!" His older friend exclaims, a smile coming to his face.

"It's a crappy surprise party, if that's what it is. It's been happening for like five years by now, and there's still no party." He sulks, and Toby shrugs. The bell rings signaling the end of their brief lunch break. 

Tommy and Toby both stand, going to throw away their trash and store away their lunch boxes again before class resumes. They walk together to their lockers, maintaining an easy banter of jokes and meaningless insults. The pair stops in front of Toby's classroom, needing to part for a short while before their next class together.

"Hey Tommy, about that big secret... Why don't you ask them why you can't see them anymore?" Toby asks, and Tommy just rolls his eyes.

"I already said, rule three, you idiot. Dad doesn't want me to know." He says, and Toby barely blinks at the light insult.

"No no no, I meant why don't you ask Wilbur and Phil? If only your dad doesn't want you to know, then maybe one of them would be willing to tell you. You just have to get alone with one of 'em and BOOM!" Toby makes a wide gesture at the end of his sentence, hands flaring out and nearly slapping both Tommy and another student as she makes her way into the classroom. He smiles bashfully at her, but quickly turns back to his friend.

"Then you'll know why they can't come over and talk to you anymore! One of them must know, right?" He suggests, looking up at Tommy as he thinks over the proposition.

"That... isn't too bad of an idea, my friend..." Tommy trails off, looking somewhere in the distance of the hallway, as Toby smiles brightly up at him. The two parts with a few more words, the brunette dipping into his classroom and Tommy continuing down the hall.

Tommy hadn't ever considered asking one of the older two males what he wanted to know so badly, but now that Toby mentioned it, the thought doesn't leave his mind. He spaces out in his English course, wondering how exactly he could get either of the two alone so as to question them. By the time the next bell rings, a quiet grin has formed on the child's face, and a solid plan is in his head. He'll need to thank Toby the next time he sees his older friend, for giving him this way to find out exactly what his father wishes for him to not know.

When he asks his father, later in the day, if he can cash in a few favors, Techno is suspicious of the devious smirk on his son's face. Nevertheless, he listens, and by the end of their conversation, the two have struck up a reluctant deal. Tommy sleeps well that night, finally satisfied in his plot to expose this big secret once-and-for-all.

Warm, golden leaves fall around the car as Techno pulls up to the entrance of the park. It's fairly quiet, even though it's a Saturday during the fall. The park itself is one that an eight-year-old Tommy would classify as a 'grown-up park,' which means it's set up for hiking rather than play. 

Every tree has taken on an orange or golden hue, and their leaves drop to the ground creating picturesque piles that draw the eye. Tommy has been staring out the window, in what his father assumes to be an unusual admiration of nature from the child. Truthfully, Tommy is working out exactly how his plan will work, and most importantly, what he'll say when the time comes.

Techno opens his car door, which startles Tommy from his subdued state. The child excitedly dismounts from the car and runs around the back to help with some of the supplies. The pair carried their supplies to a quaint picnic bench, sitting down and beginning to splay out their belongings. A distant shout gains both of their attention, as they can see two other men walking up to them. Techno tenses slightly, but the boy runs up to the two, demanding physical affection as children are fond of. 

Once greetings are exchanged, the other two help with setting up this small place, and Tommy excitedly examines the space around them. He runs up to his father, who affixes him with a questioning look.

"Can I go wade down by the water?" He askes, pleading eyes looking up at his dad. The park which they are in has a small beach, not intended for swimming, as the water is far too shallow. From where their bench sits, the water front is not visible, but simply a minutes' walk away. Tommy has his phone tucked into his back pocket, always accessible if he ever needs it in an emergency. 

Techno allows him to run off, focusing on setting up a couple folding chairs. Phil assists him, the two gently arguing as the chair refuses to open. Wilbur sighs at the interaction, distractedly glancing around them, when he notices something off. The way Tommy trots off isn't in the direction of the lake, but rather deeper into the dense trees that surround the various clearings meant for park-goers. He pauses right before he dips into the deep forest, and turns, looking back at the three gathered men. 

He stops when he sees Wilbur's gaze fixed on him, a sly smile finding his face he he locks eyes with the adult and then enters the large concentration of trees. He's invisible, hidden by the the warm colors of the trees and with how densely packed the forest is. Wilbur's eyes refuse to leave the place where Tommy had entered the forest, searching for any small movement from the kid. 

The boy is playing with him, purposely taunting him. Tommy is nearly begging to be followed into the golden woods, the red of his shirt camouflaging him perfectly in the fallen leaves. Wilbur's mouth waters at the prospect of Tommy laid out amidst the scattered leaves, so fragile and beautiful. His heart stutters as he turns back, worried that one of the other two had seen the child as well, but both are still distracted with the stubborn chairs.

He grins, and turns to follow the boy into the foliage. If Tommy is begging to be tracked down, then Wilbur would be cruel to postpone his hunt. The man moves away from the table, and is stopped by a question.

"Where are you going?" Techno asks him, and his stops. 

"Bathroom. They ought to have one in that small shop near the entrance, right?" Wilbur responds, turning to face the other two. Techno grunts and returns his focus to the chairs, Phil following him. Wilbur silently exhales, and walks off in the direction the boy had gone.

He enters the thick trees, , praying that neither of the other men had enough sense to watch the direction in which he walked off. Worst case, he could blame his sudden walk in the forest as a substitute for walking back to the entrance to find the bathroom. When he peeks out at their table, both men are still focused on something else, and he smiles like a madman.

Wilbur is walking into the forest to pursue Tommy _alone_. The boy had lied to his father, _without prompting_ , with the intent to get Wilbur to follow him on a chase in the forest. It seems like the perfect present from the kid, and Wilbur can't help but whisper into the silent forest, "Fucking _Jailbait_."

Families play and sit in the clearing, but he lays the most no mind as he pursues the child into the forest. The trees provide a perfect cover from the outside world, and Wilbur shivers at the idea of claiming the child right at the edge of the woods, able to be seen by everyone if they only looked hard enough. So Tommy could see all these people as he's violated, so he could make out the form of his precious father as Wilbur _ruins him_.

A hot flash of something unpleasant fills him as he imagines the boy crying out in pain, desperate for help from anyone around him. _'No,'_ Wilbur decides to himself, _'I'd rather be the only one to see him.'_

Deeper in the forest, the light from the sun is filtered through orange and yellow leaves, casting golden specks around the man. Wilbur follows the path of pushed-away leaves and broken branches, calmly approaching wherever Tommy has decided to end his pursuit. He moves silently, ears awaiting any quiet noise from the child that indicated his exact location. Wilbur chuckles as he thinks of himself as a predator, stalking the trail of his innocent prey. 

Part of the man is aching to reach the child, simply to finally receive what he's been awaiting for so long. However, another part of the man loves the chase, feeling so empowered as the boy flees. Wilbur wonders if Tommy is frightened, or if he instinctively tries to run to save himself from Wilbur's harsh grasp. He frowns at the thought, and decides that he much prefers the idea of Tommy running with the hope of his pursuit, needing Wilbur to chase after him as much as Wilbur wants so dearly. For the boy to eagerly wait for him in a quiet clearing, standing without patience for the man to find him.

He wonders how long Tommy will run for. Of course, Wilbur has the stamina to keep up with the 12-year-old, but if they're away for too long, the others will worry. Undoubtedly, if Techno has yet to realize that his son is missing, he will soon. Wilbur pushes the thought away. Any time he spends with Tommy will be worth it, but the man desperately hopes that Tommy halts soon enough, waiting for Wilbur to catch up. 

Wilbur stumbles into a small clearing, obviously natural, as the trees surrounding the momentary break in the forest are seemingly random and scattered about. The ground is littered with a few rocks and fallen trees, but it looks relatively untouched by humans. However, this is not what the man focuses on when he enters the area.

Standing, surrounded by leaves and nature, is Tommy. He turns to face Wilbur, eyes lighting up when he sees the older enter the space, and the man can barely contain himself from throwing himself on the child. His blonde hair glows in the speckled spots of light, and the tall, unmoving trees reflect themselves in his lovely blue eyes. The pure delight the boy regards him with is enough to stir a familiar feeling in his gut, as he steadily walks closer to the child.

Tommy smiles up at him, a breathless _'Wilby'_ falling from his lips. Wilbur stands in front of the kid, and his hand reaches up unconsciously to brush a lock of hair away from Tommy's face. He smiles, going slightly cross-eyed when Wilbur moves his finger to gently press his nose in, a gesture that would normally make him annoyed. The man looks at the boy with soft eyes, and he vividly imagines the child spread beneath him, his skin proudly on display for no one except _Wilby_. How gorgeous he would make the young boy feel, pampering him with gentle caresses and kisses along the outline of his bones. 

"You wanted me to follow you." It isn't a question, rather a statement. The kid nods, eyes never leaving Wilbur, and it makes him feel powerful. To have the boy depend on him so wholly gives him a rush, and he imagines everything he could do with that power.

Ideas flash across his mind. Disgustingly perverted images of the child on his knees for the older man, begging for something no child should even know about. Wilbur craves everything from the boy, and desperately wants take from the young child.

Wilbur's hands itch to touch the boy in front of him, to own and train and bruise the child. Something stops him, though, and before he can ponder what keeps his hands from what he's wanted for so long, Tommy speaks.

"I did. I wanted you to follow me." He confirms, and Wilbur could almost cum just from that bashful admission. Tommy looks beautiful, still gazing up at the man, his hands folded in front of him. The silence sits over them like a blanket, hiding them from every outside force. 

It's like a guilty dream-come-true, as Tommy still stands there in front of him. Wilbur half expects to blink and the boy to disappear, but the kid stands in front of him, cemented in reality. _Years_ of waiting and watching, being too far away from his one filthy desire. Both mind and body scream out to show the child how deeply he _loves_ him, Wilbur's hands clenching by his sides. Something keeps him from touching, and Wilbur assumes it to be the phantom eyes of the boy's father, not present but still watching, still holding him back.

"Why?" Is all Wilbur can say. He needs to know _why_ the boy needed him to follow, _Why_ Tommy distanced them from everyone, and _Why_ the kid didn't do it sooner.

Tommy swallows, and Wilbur's eyes dart down to watch the steady bob of his Adam's apple. He wants to trace his hands down Tommy's throat, feeling him swallow, pushing at flesh, imagining something else the boy could swallow around. This thought almost makes him miss Tommy's next question.

"Wilby? Can I ask you a question?" The young boy responds, and Wilbur pushes back a desire to coo at the child's nervous demeanor, his head tilting downwards but eyes still meeting Wilbur's. It puts into the man's head the image of Tommy kneeling in front of him, staring up at the man desperately as he begs for his darling _Wilby_. He licks his lips as he considers the question, thinking of all the _lovely_ possibilities for questions the boy could have. 

(He fantasizes about Tommy shyly asking him how to masturbate, begging Wilbur to teach him. Letting the boy lay back against him as Wilbur touches him, shows the child how to feel amazing. How _Wilbur_ can make him feel that way.)

"Of course, Toms. You can ask me anything." He replies, and Tommy breaks eye-contact, staring at his shoes and the forest floor. 

Wilbur wants to push the child against a fallen tree trunk and undress him, to see all of the boy, touch what he isn't allowed to. He wants so desperately that it's exhausting, the pure need which resonates through his body. He feels likes a live-wire, twitching and buzzing with electricity. 

"Well... I wanna know... Why won't dad let me see you and Phil as much anymore? What changed?"

Wilbur's breath hitches, dirty fantasies leaving his mind as the boy looks up at him, searching for an answer. Tommy waits, but Wilbur doesn't know how to respond. 

The man wants to tell him that everything has changed, but at the same time, nothing has. Yes, he can't talk to Tommy alone anymore, can't touch the boy as closely as he used to. But at the same time, these pathetic rules that the boy's father implemented do nothing to quell the burning fire that Wilbur feels within him. That fire that flares when it sees the innocent little child in front of him, that burns brighter when he thinks of touching him. So much has changed, but nothing has changed within him, and his fire still runs rampant, on a path destined for destruction. No, nothing has changed, for there is still the monster within him that screams to consume this boy's innocence. 

Wilbur wants to touch. To hold and own and have Tommy completely, in body and mind. He wants the child to submit to him, to take everything he has to give and still beg for more. He wants to touch and destroy and _hurt_ while Tommy lets him, _loves him for it_. 

The two stand so close, close enough that Wilbur barely has to reach out to touch the boy, but it isn't enough. It will _never_ be enough for the monster that wants to consume and devour everything about this child. Nothing will satiate this all-consuming force within him, nothing except owning Tommy in his entirety.

And here the two stand, Wilbur desperate, anxious, and eager to jump off of the cliff at the end of the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment if there are any other things I should warn about in the beginning notes! I sincerely don't want to leave anything out that will unintentionally trigger someone or not properly warn them about the contents of this fic. This is only part one, so be prepared for the other half soon! 
> 
> Lol, I was totally planning on sitting around and procrastinating on this, but then I got my period and just *instantly focuses.* Blood cannot stop me from writing.
> 
> (Ignore the constant hyphenations. I have a tendency to hyphenate words and phrases that sound like one word. Something like 'once and for all,' looks better as 'once-and-for-all' in my mind, so that's how I write it. I'm too lazy to look up how they're actually hyphenated or if I'm just wrong. I hope this doesn't take too much away from the story!)
> 
> ((This will probably be a controversial chapter. I understand sexualizing minors is wrong, but my aim is to write from the fucked-up perspective of a pedophile who is unable to see what is wrong with their desires. Feel free to ask questions in the comments, and remember, all comments are reviewed before permitting them so that the comments are a safe place to be <3))
> 
> Feel free to comment! I love hearing feedback and questions so much! :D


	8. The Cliff at The End Of The World (pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is the final chapter of this story! Thank you all so much for coming with me on this journey. Make sure you've read through the trigger warning for the last chapter, since this will include many of the same elements, heightened to increase the drama. Don't push through anything you can't handle, and take regular breaks if you're uncomfortable. Thanks, and enjoy the finale.
> 
> WARNING! - The sections that are in parentheses and being 'striked out,' (having a line through each and every letter,) are the more triggering descriptions. These include depictions of a child being RAPED. It is in NO way glorified, and includes nothing horribly graphic, but some things included/implied are; Forced sex, gagging, forced bondage, attempting (and not succeeding) to escape a sexual situation, heavy bruising from being assaulted, choking, and blood/gore.
> 
> I think it's necessary to include these parts to show exactly how Wilbur thinks and what he is distressed by. This means to show why he acts as he does, and put the reader into his intrusive thoughts.

Technoblade can't breathe. His lungs won't take in the air he needs to live, and he's certain that he's dying. He can feel himself gasping shallowly, a voice in his ear trying to lead him through breathing exercises but he _can't_.

The warm hand on his back is rubbing gently, trying to work him through the fucking panic attack he fell into when he realized that _Tommy was fucking gone_. 

That fact alone wouldn't have thrown him into a panicked frenzy, but the fact that _Wilbur was nowhere to be found wasn't exactly calming him down_. 

He can hear a voice trying to persuade him to calm his breathing, but he _can't._ The dread that he's familiar with is swallowing him whole to the point where he can't do anything except sit here and hope his son is okay. 

The thought of Tommy, somewhere alone with one of the monsters that have an insatiable lust for a child's blood, has him falling deeper into the pit that he's in. All he can do is think of _his son_ crying and broken, being destroyed while _his father couldn't fucking do anything._

Technoblade is used to having panic attacks, but this genuinely feels like the end of his life. Still, even if he is dying, all he can think of is his son. Sweet Tommy, the little child who gives his life meaning is going to be _fucking raped_ because his father _wasn't able to let his friends go_. 

He can feel tears leaking down his face, quiet sobs coming from his throat, but nothing registers except for the void inside him, searingly empty without Tommy. There is talking around him, but he can't hear it over the blood rushing in his ears. His son, who he may never see again, stolen by someone he once thought of as a _friend_. A monster hiding behind a pretty smile and charming personality.

One voice registers, but he can't tell who it is talking to him. Their voice sounds far off, like Techno was pushed underwater.

" _Breathe, mate. Come on, you can't do anything for Tommy while you're halfway passed out."_

It's the mention of Tommy that causes him to actually listen, to follow the other's breathing. Techno's hand was against the other person's chest ( _When had it gotten there?_ ), and he can feel the rise and fall of their breathing. He follows shakily, and realizes that his other hand is being held, and he thinks briefly that him and this other person probably look like they're locked in an awkward waltz. The thought only stays for a second, before his mind is barraged with thoughts of _Tommy, Tommy, where the fuck is Tommy?_

He closes his eyes and focuses on his breathing and the tiny praises whispered from the other person. They keep telling him to just breathe, and that Tommy will be fine.

Wilbur's face from the first time he ever saw Tommy shirtless flashes behind his eyes. He remembers vividly the way he stared, mouth open and hungry. He can recall how Wilbur's eyes never left the boy's chest, roaming about the exposed flesh. He shivers at the memory of the small smile Wilbur had, like he was seeing something exclusive, hidden for only his eyes.

No, Techno doesn't think Tommy will be fine.

But he breathes anyways, because if he doesn't, then he may never see Tommy again. He breathes because even if he's still _freaking out_ , it's much better to actually be helping find his son. He breathes in hope that one day, far in the future, Tommy will be fine and safe from the horrors of the world.

The voice never leaves him, still whispering praises and reassurances. The warm hand still sits in his, and Techno can't express how grateful he is that they haven't pulled away. They anchor him to this place that he doesn't want to be in, but he _needs_ to be here.

When Techno can breathe again, his breath returning as if it had never left, he opens his eyes. Phil sits in front of him, still whispering quietly. Techno shoots him a bashful smile, then glances around the area.

They seem to be in the entrance gift shop, with a few park staff talking worriedly on radios. He can vaguely remember sprinting here after realizing he'd lost Tommy, searching for Wilbur, but finding no one. That's when he stopped breathing.

"I told them we had lost a kid, gave them Tommy's name and description. Gave them Wilbur's too, said that they might... be found together." Phil explains, and Techno can feel himself freeze.

But no, he needs to stay here, in this moment, no matter how terrifying it is.

"Have you texted him?" Techno asks, hoping that they hadn't, that everyone had simply overlooked it, and that Tommy would respond and tell them that he's alright. Phil's apologetic eyes break that image in a second.

"Both Tommy and Wil. Neither responded. Wil might've just not wanted to respond, but Tommy..." He trails off, trying not to discourage the father. 

"If Tommy didn't respond, then something is horribly wrong." Techno finishes, and before he can think too hard about leaving Phil's comforting grasp, he stands. The staff looks over, probably now noticing that the father is no longer _literally dying on their floor_. A young woman walks up to him, trying to put him at ease. It only heightens his anxiety.

"Sir, I'm so sorry that you've lost your son. We are doing everything we can to find him, I promise. We have every available member of our team out searching the park, but it'd be so helpful if you could provide us with _any_ information on where he could be. Sometimes kids just wander off to their favorite spots and forget to tell their parents! It's nothing to worry about, I'm certain." She tries with a kind smile, but her eyes look frantic.

"He said he was going to the waterfront, but he wasn't there when I came looking for him. We were only separated for about ten minutes before I went looking for him. I don't know where else he would go." Techno answers honestly.

She tries to smile, but it comes across more as a wince. Techno assumes it's appropriate, since a child is somewhere in the woods, lost. With an awkward pat on the arm and a few words of reassurance, the woman walks away, responding to a bit of chatter on her radio. Techno catches a few words, mostly about a few sections they would check before others, and any leads about the situation. 

He desperately wants to go and search with them, but they know the park better than he ever could. It's better to stay here anyways, so the second they find his son and bring him back the two will be together again. (Techno tries to ignore the nagging fear of Wilbur returning as well, arms around the boy as he cries for reasons other than getting lost in the forest. He subconsciously prepares to punch the man as soon as he sees any sign that Tommy is hurt.)

Phil waves to grab his attention, and Techno sits next to him, grateful for the comforting presence of another person during the chaos. (He can ignore the creeping feeling of anxiety as he sits with the man, and brush off any lingering thoughts of it being Phil who was lost rather than Wilbur. All he wants right now is a familiar shoulder to lean on, even if it's the same man who he has to keep Tommy safe from.)

"One of the workers brought over a lil' shock blanket since you were, y'know." Phil says, trying to start conversation. Techno looks over to see a grey fleece blanket ignored and rumpled on the ground between them. He picks it up and begins to fold it, mostly out of habit. (Tommy had been tiny when he first entered Techno's life. The man hadn't known where to get appropriately sized blankets for the kid, so he ended up just folding them over once or twice so that they'd fit the small bed. It put him into the habit of folding blankets neatly whenever he was anxious, which would leave their house with some neatly made beds before video calling with two certain men.)

Techno focuses on breathing. He inhales and exhales along with Phil, following the others' breathing pattern. Their arms touch, and it's a comforting warmth for the nervous father. (Tommy was like a tiny heater, always bustling and burning up with so much energy. During the winter, the kid would occasionally crawl into his father's lap just to heat Techno up. He happened to run fairly cold, and it always seemed symbolic that this tiny force in his life would complete him in every way, even in their body heat.)

The sky outside seems dark, and Techno worries about it raining, and how it could delay the search. (Tommy loved playing in the rain. A picture sits on Techno's bedstand, of a seven-year-old Tommy absolutely soaked in the rain, mud covering his clothes and all over his sneakers. He has a giant smile, and his hands are held up for the camera to see a clump of grass and dirt, with a tiny pink worm right in the middle. Tommy had been so disappointed when his father had to explain that _no_ , the little worm wouldn't turn into a butterfly.)

(His thoughts flash to Tommy laying in mud, his body broken and bruised. Of Wilbur standing over the atrocious sight and laughing, covered in the blood of a child who he was supposed to _protect_.)

Techno breathes, in and out. His eyes shut and he leans on the other man, who jerks in surprise at the motion. Phil's hand moves around his body and rubs at his tense back. 

(It hurts, but he needs to stay here. The chance of him finding Tommy by going out on his own are slim, and it would be better to stay here, rather than getting himself lost and forcing the staff into another park-wide search.)

Techno forces air in his lungs. It hurts, breathing without knowing that his son is safe. He has to anyways.

He breathes, leaning on a monster comparable to that which his son walks with now. ( _But it's all he has.)_

He breathes for his son. ( _It's all he can do._ )

The air is cold and suffocating, the warm atmosphere previously held vanishing as clouds roll over the park. It's darker than before, and all of the sunlight that had filtered through bright leaves has disappeared. 

Tommy's eyes stare at Wilbur, wide and innocent as he provokes a demon. Wilbur's breath catches in his throat, unable to answer the boy's question. He could easily lie, but Tommy looks up so sweetly at him, curious about something dangerous. 

_How the fuck do you tell a child that the reason you can't see him as often as before is the same exact reason you followed him here in the first place?_

The kid seems to grow tired of his reluctance after about a minute of silence, as he turns and angrily sits down on a fallen log. Wilbur seems able to move again now that Tommy is no longer staring up at him, and awkwardly sits next to him. 

He glances over to see the boy's arms crossed over his chest, a grumpy look on his face as he kicks at the uneven ground. Even though he tries hard to seem angry at Wilbur's lack of an answer, the older man can see the sadness behind the child's face. Tommy looks up to see Wilbur studying him, and jerks his head to the other side, so Wilbur can't see his face. 

"I just want to know. Dad won't tell me, and I thought... I thought you'd trust me enough to tell me why." Tommy whispers, and Wilbur can hear the tears in his voice. It makes his heart ache, knowing that he's made Tommy cry in such a context. 

(He pushes away the desire to take Tommy's face into his hands and wipe the tears away, pressing gentle kisses to his cheeks. How beautiful would it look, to see the child's face dwarfed by his hands, to feel Tommy's breath against his skin as crystal tears fall from his eyes. To let Tommy raise his own hand to press against Wilbur's, nuzzling into the adult's touch and allowing himself to be comforted by his _Wilby_.)

Wilbur raises a hand, hovering in the air near the kid. It's something that's been worked into his head so often, to never touch the young boy, as his father was usually around to watch with angry eyes. But now, Wilbur realizes that there is no judging eyes within the forest, no lips to whisper the secrets of what happens in the secluded woods. Not one heart beats apart from the two in the clearing, so forbiddenly close after so many years of longing from one. The only sounds are the rustling of the leaves and Tommy's breathing, and Wilbur allows himself to relax. A man on trial has nothing to fear once the judge and jury leave the room, content to wallow in his crimes once the threat of judgement is lifted. 

His hand now rests on Tommy's thin shoulder, and it's deliciously tempting to dig his fingers in, bruise the gentle flesh and hear the child cry out in the silent forest. (How badly Wilbur wants to hear his gasp, the once kind touch morphing into something destructive. Worse yet, Wilbur shudders at the thought of Tommy _letting him_ , allowing his small body to be hurt and damaged at the man's will. Gasping on instinct but never pulling away because he _knows_ that he belongs to Wilbur. The pleased smile Tommy would give him for any little bit of praise.) 

Wilbur has to push himself back into the present to address the sniffling child. Tommy hasn't mentioned anything about the older's hand on his shoulder, but it catches Wilbur's eye more than once as he tries to think of a response for the child. 

"Tommy, sweetheart, it isn't that I don't trust you, but... Well, to be completely honest with you, I'm not sure you'd want to know the truth." Wilbur grits out guiltily. Tommy turns to face him quickly, and Wilbur's heart stutters at the tear tracks on his face.

"Wilby, I wanna know! It can't be _that_ bad! I just want an explanation, I'm not a baby anymore, and I don't need to be protected." He says, pouting. Wilbur stares at the child's mouth, licking his own lips at the darling expression Tommy makes. His mind briefly revisits the idea of teaching Tommy how to give a blowjob, his tiny lips stretching to their limit as he tries his best to please the older man. 

( _God_ , how badly Wilbur wishes that Techno didn't feel so strongly about protecting the boy. Looking away while Tommy sneaks out to meet the older, learning how to fulfill the other in an utterly _sinful_ way. Trusting the child to be alone with Wilbur, never giving another thought to alarming amount of time spent with the adult. Though that _is_ partially his own fault, Wilbur thinks.)

He plays with the thought of responding to the child, but in the end, he refrains from giving an answer. They settle in the silence, and it's quite calm in the small clearing. Wilbur's hand hasn't left the boy's shoulder, and he thinks about trailing his hand down lower, feeling over Tommy's chest. 

(Bending the child over the fallen log, spreading his legs to look at the hidden beauty of the young boy. How Tommy would gasp as the adult explores his most secretive places. Squirming and whimpering as Wilbur's tongue works at him, tasting the untouched skin.)

~~(How Tommy's screams would shatter the silence of the forest, straining his vocal chords in pure horror. Wilbur forcing a gag into his mouth and staring at the freely flowing tears on the child's face. Staring at the broken boy's eyes, _begging_ for help from the Wilbur who always touched him so gently, who he knew loved him. )~~

Wilbur shoves the unwelcome thoughts away, his fingers gently rubbing Tommy's skin, as the child relaxes with the touch, his shoulders slumping. The man's other hand comes up to the boy's other shoulder, hands positioned as if he was giving the kid a shoulder massage. 

(Letting Tommy lay down for the older man, legs tensed with anticipation as Wilbur teases his sensitive flesh. Making him feel heavenly, watching as the boy drools from the foreign pleasure. How pretty his body would flush as Wilbur's hands wander, skin turning a pretty pink as the adult trails over every inch of the boy.)

~~(Feeling the child thrash and buck under him, gritting his teeth and binding his arms and legs together to prevent unwanted struggle. Weak attempts at struggle, even as he was bound and violated, determined not to give in without some semblance of discontent. Tommy sobbing under the harsh realization that escape was impossible, that the man he trusted would _take_ until he was satisfied, no regard for his feelings.)~~

Wilbur's face draws up in a frown, and he distracts himself by turning the boy around by his shoulder and entrapping him in a hug. Tommy freezes for a second, but easily raises his arms to wrap around the adult's neck, returning the embrace. Wilbur focuses on the warmth coming from the child, and quietly slips into another fantasy.

(The boy sitting in his lap as Wilbur sings, playing songs on his guitar that have always delighted the kid. How, after a few songs, Wilbur would set the guitar down and just touch Tommy, hands roaming his soft skin and chest, rubbing at his sensitive spots and drawing tiny noises from him. Playing the boy like the most beautiful instrument, known only by himself. The child nervously taking his hand and dragging it lower, begging to be touched and appreciated everywhere.)

~~(Gripping the child's hair harshly, his prey lashing out and scratching for any desperate attempt to get away. Squeezing thin wrists in one hand, feeling the bones shift and hearing him scream in pain. Of course, it'd be _nothing_ in comparison to that pain approaching the kid, forced on him by a man he once considered family. )~~

Wilbur unintentionally holds him tighter, arms wrapped around his small waist, holding the boy close to his chest. Tommy shifts uncomfortably, the increased tightness restricting his breathing slightly. The adult is too lost in his head to acknowledge how the kid squirms against him.

(A darling collar secured around Tommy's neck, the soft red complimenting his skin. A thin metal loop near the front, allowing Wilbur to pulls him closer, often into a kiss or into his lap. How the child giggles when he wears it, knowing how badly it tempts the older. Adoringly teasing the man until he grows tired of the game and crawls onto Wilbur himself, excited to be so alluring for his Wilbur.)

~~(The mottled bruises marring Tommy's soft flesh, fingerprints dotting around his body, detailing horrors beyond imagining. Dark handprints almost permanently affixed to his hips and waist, angry red bite marks scattered over his back and sides, raw, red rings around both wrists. How the boy cries as his thin hands rise to gently poke at the purple collar of bruises around his neck, forced into place by the hands of someone he could never love again.)~~

Wilbur shakes his head unconsciously, dread filling his heart. Tommy rests his head against Wilbur's chest, arms still encircling his neck. The man hopes that the kid can't hear the way his heart beats, because he fears that within the rhythm he will hear all of Wilbur's intentions and darkest thoughts. If he can hear that from the pounding in his chest, Tommy says nothing.

(Waking up next to the boy, sleepy and glowing with love. How his soft hair is messed up from sleep and other activities, delighting in Wilbur's hands feeling him so intimately. Gentle kisses pressed against one another, a slow morning of love and nothing else, Pressing into Tommy and hearing him sigh. Thin arms wrapping around him, lovingly caressing his skin, just as Wilbur had wanted to do to the boy for years.)

~~(Blood dripping around them, red staining the white sheets. Deep gashes cute into delicate skin, leaking insistently, as a constant reminder to he who inflicted it on the poor boy. Heavy coughing as the child expels the thick red substance from his mouth, choking on his own blood. A stream leaking from his tiny hole, dripping on the bed from in between his legs, a reminder of his abuse. This child, _Tommy,_ covered in blood, his little body still bleeding and in pain, laying in a puddle of red. He whimpers when the adult does nothing but takes a picture, stalking from the room, leaving the boy with nothing but the memories. Memories scarred into his body by the monster that lurks beneath a kind smile and charming personality.)~~

Wilbur releases the boy, his arms going slack and laying heavy by his sides. Tommy startles at the abrupt end of the embrace, but pulls away nonetheless, settling back on the log next to Wilbur. He looks at the older, pondering if he could still salvage his attempt to find out the information that he had been hoping to find, but Wilbur's expression stops him. The man stares into the distance, an utterly haunted look on his face. It's as if he stares into the eyes of the Devil himself, or death incarnate, facing a truth no mortal could ever bear and keep his sanity.

The adult clenches his jaw, nearly snarling at the thoughts that soil his perfect fantasies. The beauty of the boy is ripped apart by these sick truths. It burns, Wilbur thinks, to refrain from touching the young child. How pitifully ironic that it burns harsher when the man _does_ allow himself to touch the kid. 

Tommy still watches the older, his hands drawing together to fidget in the numbing silence. It doesn't escape him how unusual of an interaction it is, but his Wilby has always had an odd sense of humor. Even if Tommy doesn't always understand the weird build-up of his jokes, he _always_ ends up laughing until his sides are sore. Whether it's insisting on eating sand or viciously verbally attacking anteaters, he makes Tommy giggle and laugh loudly. That same laugh that everyone except Toby makes fun of him for, loud and boisterous, disrupting any gentle conversation. But Wilbur has never once pulled away after hearing it, just smiles wider and tries to make his bit a little further-stretching, to make the child laugh harder.

Wilby is odd, but that doesn't mean that it puts Tommy off. He feels drawn closer because of it, that this unique adult cares so much for _him alone_ , and no one else compares. Wilbur had told Tommy that once, on one of the video chats that his father didn't know about. The man had told the child that he couldn't like anyone else more than Tommy, and the fuzzy warmth that filled his whole body when he heard those words kept him up later in the night. He thinks back on it, whenever he's had a bad day, and remember how he's Wilby's _favorite_.

Determined to throw Wilbur out of whatever trance he's gotten lost in, Tommy gently sets a hand atop Wilbur's knee to gather the attention of the older. He jolts, his eyes widening as he stares at the place where their skin touches, a warm, tiny palm resting his exposed knee. His gaze darts up into the boy's eyes, flicking back and forth, searching for something that Tommy can't decipher. His intention was only to steal Wilbur's attention from his own head, but it seems he's found something else, as well, in his pursuit.

Wilbur's hand sets on Tommy's hand, brushing over soft skin with the pads of his fingers. The man's mouth is open, lips parted as he stares at the kid. He must find whatever he'd been searching for in Tommy's eyes, as he slowly leans towards the boy. Tommy doesn't know how to react, but he doesn't want to upset Wilbur, so he does nothing. 

Rough lips meet Tommy's cheek, pursing against the soft skin before pulling away. The kid doesn't know how to react, and simply looks at the older. He's returned to staring into the younger's eyes, searching for something that Tommy doesn't know how to give him. 

Wilbur's mind is screaming, demanding that he steal a second kiss, this one directly on Tommy's soft lips. Still, another part of his brain shouts to run away, flee from the kid's temptation and innocence. In compromise, his body remains entirely still, waiting, watching for the kid's reaction to the silent proposition. The boy just sits and looks at him, unaware of how to respond to the gentle affection. Wilbur parts his lips to speak, prepared to ask the boy what he had thought of the action, when a noise interrupts him.

The loud rustling of branches, made by something undoubtedly human-sized, grows louder every second. Something, or rather, _someone_ is coming towards their clearing, and Wilbur has enough time to pull himself away from the kids fully. A second later, a man enters the small space, pausing by the dense trees and staring at the pair, eyes hovering on the child more than the adult. He seems to relax and unclips the radio on his belt, crackling in the silence.

' _Found them, the kid and the other man. We'll be headed back now, neither of them look hurt._ '

When Tommy's blonde hair comes into view, Techno throws the shock blanket at Phil and runs to the boy. His eyes had been scanning the edge of the forest since the woman has informed them that his son was safe, and the emergence of two tall figure, one holding a blonde child, finally occurred. Seeing the dismayed father sprinting in their direction, the kind park ranger gently lowers the boy to the ground, leaning back as he sees the kid start running as well. The two collide in the middle, considerably closer to the edge of the forest than the park store, due to the adult's longer legs. 

Techno easily drops to his knees and secures his arms around Tommy, one finding his shoulder and the other cradling his head. It's a tight pressure around the child, but not unwelcome as Tommy's arms squeeze around his father as well, reuniting in the long grass. 

The other two men walk forward at a slow pace, approaching the duo but keeping their distance to respect the quiet moment. All of the staff watch the father hold his son, glad that the the boy was safe.

"Are you okay, Tommy? You aren't hurt?" Techno asks, pulling away slightly, his hands coming to his son's face. They're both breathing a bit heavily, Techno from sprinting and Tommy from his embarrassment and shame. He shakes his head 'no,' and Techno takes in the boy's red cheeks. 

He considers getting angry, yelling, demanding to know why the kid had run off _alone_ , but the boy looks plenty bashful already. Undoubtedly, seeing just how worried his father had been, as well a hearing about the park-wide search just for him had instilled in him a great amount of shame. 

Tommy had never considered his father not knowing where he had gone and panicking when he first thought up his plan to find out the big secret. It doesn't seem too important now, as Techno stands, hoisting Tommy up along with him. He carries his son back towards the building, and Tommy relaxes in his arms. He feels safe, protected from the world in the opposite way of how Wilbur's embrace caused him to feel anxious.

The boy lays against his father's chest as the staff ask a handful of questions, some to the child himself and others to the man who had found the lost pair. Phil drapes the gray blanket over Tommy, who gladly accepts it, and plays with the fabric as the staff interrogate the child. His answers are quiet and muted, still embarrassed by the situation.

Once the well-intentioned staff members eventually release the three men and child, Techno is quick to deliver Tommy to their car. His heart stills in panic at the thought of leaving Tommy alone again, but he has to.

"I'll be right back, Tommy. Just stay here for a few minutes, and try not to get lost again, yeah?" He asks jokingly, and Tommy stutters out a bashful response as his father closes the car door. 

The park is quiet as Techno walks away from the car, taking a moment to just _breathe_ as he prepares himself. Without the panic and frenzy of the staff, it's now calm.

Wilbur and Phil stand near the bench which they had settled all of their stuff at, merely two and a half hours ago. All of the items had been removed, but the other two men hesitated there from the request of Techno. They both raise their heads to look at him, ceasing a quiet conversation as he approaches. Phil looks dismayed, like he knows what Techno will say, and is getting ready for the result. Wilbur has been staring off into the woods ever since he reappeared with the ranger, as if silently contemplating running off and being lost for forever. Techno wouldn't mind if the man did that, to be honest.

He stops a small distance away from them, closes his eyes for a few seconds, and breathes. It's an exhausted breath that he releases, finally dispelling his anxiety. Anticipation takes its place, a giddy nervousness rolling in his stomach. Wilbur fidgets with his hands.

"I didn't hurt him." 

Its quiet, seemingly begging for forgiveness that the father is unwilling to allow. Few questions had been asked to Wilbur, other than how he had found himself lost with the young boy. Not one of the three aware of the true situation had spoken up, but that anxiety didn't leave Wilbur, even after exiting the care of the staff. 

"This is it." Techno says, ignoring Wilbur's words, and the sentiment sits heavy in the air. Phil nods, head turning downwards. 

Wilbur frowns, hands still moving restlessly. 

"I-I was only looking." He whispers, like a reprimanded child being caught pining after something he shouldn't. Techno sighs.

"Wilbur, tell me, how long will 'only looking' be enough? How long will it be until 'just looking' isn't enough to satisfy you anymore? What happens then, to Tommy? 'Just looking' will turn into 'just touching.' You can keep feeding into these thoughts but eventually you look for more. You won't ever be satisfied until you've gone too far, broken him to be something that pleases you. 'Just looking' won't ever be just that. It will change and grow into something worse and worse because you allow it to fester underneath pitiful excuses that glorify fucking _pedophilia_ to your own subconscious. As long as you feed into it, it'll grow and demand more and more from you. Tell me, Wilbur, how the _fuck_ am I supposed to just sit back and allow you to hurt him anymore?"

"I won't go off alone with him, ever again. I swear. Never-"

"That's not the problem anymore, Wil." Techno says, silencing the man. Neither man speaks as the words sink in fully.

"It doesn't matter that you promise you won't do it ever again. It's the fact that it _could've_. The fact that it _happened_ and even though Tommy is safe now, it's the fact that he _might've not been._ That if one tiny variable had changed, _my son might have been hurt_. Worse than hurt, _raped_ , just because I allowed this _shit_ to happen. I am supposed to _protect_ him, and the fact that you put him in danger means that... Neither of you can see him anymore." Techno finishes. He can feel the way Wilbur stares at him, distraught, but can't bring himself to care, not after the events of the day. Phil only nods again, reserved and accepting of their fate.

Wilbur evidently wants to argue, but when Techno looks at him, that argument is put to rest. It surprises Wilbur mostly how Techno doesn't look enraged or horribly pissed off. If anything, all that rests on his face is mild annoyance and _tiredness_. He looks exhausted and weary, like a man who'd been travelling on the ocean with no island in sight for so long. Wilbur simply closes his mouth and nods, following Phil's example. Techno looks grateful, and turns to walk away from the two.

"Can we at least say goodbye?" Wilbur asks, releasing the words before he can realize he's saying anything. Techno pauses, but doesn't turn again.

"No. It's better if he never sees nor hears either of you ever again. It might make him sad, but that's the way it has to be, for his safety." 

With that sentiment, he walks off, leaving the two men standing alone. He offers no farewell to the friendship that had perished nine years prior.

Techno reaches the car again, and ducks his head a bit to look into the window, seeing his son resting in the passenger seat. He smiles, relief flooding his veins once more, and enters the driver's side. Tommy startles awake from his brief nap, rubbing at his eyes and looking at his father. 

"Dad?"

"Yeah, Tommy?"

The child hesitates, questions on his tongue but unable to spill past his lips. He wants to ask his father so many things, to ask why he hadn't gotten to say goodbye to either Phil or Wilbur. Even more, he wishes to ask why Wilbur had behaved the way he had in the woods, to finally receive his answers.

"Can we go home?"

Techno smiles, and starts the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me promising to get this second half soon after the last one and then procrastinating writing the finale bc I have no idea how to accurately convey what I'm thinking of? More likely than you'd think.
> 
> Sorry for the delay on this, seriously. I got through the first half, and then panicked for about a week thinking about how to write the final Tommy and Wilbur scene. Then, once I got through the bulk of the 2/3rd part, I came down with a head cold! My body punishing me for trying to actually finish this fic I guess, lol. I'm powering through though, so if there's a few bits that don't make sense, or a ton of weird metaphors then I'm blaming my sickness.
> 
> Oop- I grew up catholic so religious imagery go BRRRRRRRRR- lol, one of parallels I was thinking of was the kiss on the cheek, being similar to that given by Judas. Not necessarily the same in context, but similar in the sinner giving that gesture of love to someone he is betraying/hurting. 
> 
> I- I've been spelling tongue wrong this whole time. My life is a lie.
> 
> Thank you for reading! This is the final planned chapter for this work, but I really want to create a separate work that would include analysis of this fic and characters. Kind of an afterthought, looking in-depth at how I developed the characters and how the story was shaped! I also have a brief idea for an epilogue, but that would leave this story on a much darker note than it has currently ended on. If anyone wanted, I would probably publish the epilogue and the analysis together in the same work, in different chapters. I just really want to explain the psychology behind the characters and some of the symbolism/story mechanics that I enjoyed using. If any of y'all are interested, then I guess look forward to it. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, are you here to yell because I have taken advantage of the ability to write? Well, make sure that you read the notes at the top first! Then make an informed comment about how angry you are at me. If you've cited one of your biggest problems as something I've already listed above, I will ignore your comment. Be kind :)


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